Voting for Final Phase of UP Polls Ends, 54.18% Voter Turnout Till 5 PM
Catch all the live updates on the seventh phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls here.
The seventh and terminal phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls began on Monday, 7 March.
(Photo: The Quint/Kamran Akhter)
A voter turnout of 54.18 percent was recorded till 5 pm for the seventh and terminal phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.
Fifty four constituencies, spanning nine districts, are going to polls in this phase. The counting of votes slated to take place on 10 March.
The focal point of Monday's polls was Varanasi, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition had won all eight Assembly segments in 2017, bestriding the "Modi wave."
UP Assembly polls began on 10 February
Counting of votes slated to take place on 10 March
Over 55% voter turnout was recorded in phase six
A sadhu prepares to leave after casting his vote during the 7th and last phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections at a polling booth in Varanasi
Citizens show their identification cards as they wait to cast their vote outside a polling booth in Varanasi
Citizens wait to cast their vote, during the 7th and last phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, outside a polling booth in Varanasi, Monday, 7 March.
A woman registers her name before casting her vote at a polling booth in Varanasi.
A man shows his identification card after casting his vote outside a polling booth in Varanasi.
Citizens wait to cast their vote, during the 7th and last phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, outside a polling booth in Varanasi, Monday, 7 March.
Citizens wait to cast their vote, during the 7th and last phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, outside a polling booth in Varanasi, Monday, 7 March.
Citizens wait to cast their vote, during the 7th and last phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, outside a polling booth in Varanasi, Monday, 7 March.
Citizens wait to cast their vote, during the 7th and last phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, outside a polling booth in Mirzapur, Monday, 7 March.
Voting Ends for UP Elections
Voting ends for the seventh and final phase of UP Assembly elections.
54.13% Voter Turnout Till 5 pm
A voter turnout of 54.13 percent was recorded till 5 pm in the seventh and final phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
46.40% Voter Turnout Till 3 pm
A voter turnout of 46.40 percent was recorded till 3 pm in the seventh and final phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
UP Polls: 35.51% Voter Turnout Till 1 pm
A voter turnout of 35.51 percent was recorded till 1 pm for the seventh and last phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.
Here is the district-wise turnout:
Azamgarh: 34.60%
Bhadohi: 35.60%
Chandauli: 38.45%
Ghazipur: 34.15%
Jaunpur: 35.80%
Mau: 37.08%
Mirzapur: 38.05%
Sonbhadra: 35.68%
Varanasi: 33.55%
Central Paramilitary Force Sub-Inspector Removed From Election Duty
District election officer removed CPMF (Central Paramilitary Force) sub-inspector Chaman Lala from election duty, after receiving complaint that he forced polling agents to throw the voters' list, Hindustan Times reported.
Lala was deployed at polling booths 243 to 246 of Vidhansabha Cantonment of Varanasi.
‘BJP Failed To Evacuate Indians’: Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the BJP-led Centre, questioning the "international recognition" that its "boasts about".
Yadav said, "Don't know which international recognition they boast about. They failed to evacuate Indians, named evacuation 'Operation Ganga' because polls are in Varanasi too."
He adds, "Had they rescued our people from Ukraine directly I would have appreciated it."
UP Polls: 21.55% Voter Turnout Till 11 am
A voter turnout of 21.55 percent was recorded till 11 am for the seventh and last phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.
Here is the district-wise turnout:
Azamgarh: 20.06%
Bhadohi: 22.26%
Chandauli: 23.51%
Ghazipur: 20.05%
Jaunpur: 21.83%
Mau: 24.69%
Mirzapur: 23.46%
Sonbhadra: 19.45%
Varanasi: 21.19%
'Winning on 5 of 8 seats in Varanasi': OP Rajbhar
President of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, OP Rajbhar, has claimed that the BJP and BSP will not win a single seat in Ghazipur, Mau, Azamgarh, Ambedkar Nagar and Ballia.
He was quoted as saying, "We're winning on 5 of 8 seats in Varanasi, 3 of 4 seats in Chandauli, 7 of 9 seats in Jaunpur. We'll win 45-47 seats in Purvanchal region."
'All Five Mirzapur Seats Will Be Won by NDA': Anupriya Patel
Union minister and Apna Dal, National President, Anupriya Patel cast her vote in Mirzapur.
Following which she said, "I have cast my vote in Mirzapur. I am assured that all five seats in the constituency will be won by our NDA candidates."
‘We Will Get a Majority’: Congress Leader Ajay Rai
Congress' Ajay Rai, after casting his vote, said, "Not many people can be seen, unlike before, when long queues were seen outside polling booth. They haven't made proper arrangements, people are forced to stand in the sun. People don't seem to be excited, we'll get a majority."
UP Polls: 8.58% Voter Turnout Till 9 am
A voter turnout of 8.58 percent was recorded till 9 am for the seventh and terminal phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.
Here is the district-wise turnout:
Azamgarh: 8.08%
Bhadohi: 7.41%
Chandauli: 7.72%
Ghazipur: 8.39%
Jaunpur: 8.99%
Mau: 9.97%
Mirzapur: 8.81%
Sonbhadra: 8.39%
Varanasi: 8.90%
'Higher the Vote, Stronger the Democracy': Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav took to Twitter to push for voting in large numbers in the final phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
He said in a tweet, "Cast your vote in the seventh and final phase today, as well as inspire other voters to use their franchise properly. The higher the vote, the stronger the democracy."
In Photos: Voting Underway in Mirzapur District
Voters exercising their vote enthusiasm in Mirzapur district.
‘Will Get Over 350 Seats’: UP Minister Ravindra Jaiswal
UP minister Ravindra Jaiswal, who is contesting from Varanasi North Assembly constituency, said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win all seats in Varanasi.
He added that BJP will get over 350 seats in this Assembly elections.
‘Create a New Voting Record’: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also tweeted and said, "I request all the voters to participate in the seventh and last phase of the assembly elections with full enthusiasm and create a new voting record."
‘Your One Vote Will Save Your State From Mafias’: UP CM Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in a tweet in Hindi on Monday morning, "All respected voters must vote for the victory of nationalism, development and good governance. Your one vote will save your state from mafias, rioters and extreme dynasts."
Districts Going to Poll in Phase 7
The districts going to poll in the seventh phase are:
Azamgarh
Mau
Jaunpur
Ghazipur
Chandauli
Varanasi
Mirzapur
Bhadohi
Sonbhadra
Key Seats, Bastions & Battlegrounds
Varanasi: With Varanasi being Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha constituency, the BJP has had an exceptional influence in the district since 2014 general elections.
In 2017, the BJP had managed to win all eight assembly constituencies in the district, namely Pindra, Ajagara, Shivpur, Rohaniya, Varanasi North, Varanasi South, Varanasi Cantt, and Sevapur.
Azamgarh: Dominated by Yadavs and Muslims, Azamgarh district has traditionally been an SP stronghold and includes the following 10 Assembly segments: Atrauliya, Gopalpur, Sagri, Mubarakpur, Azamgarh, Nizamabad, Phoolpur Pawai, Didarganj, Lalganj, and Mehnagar.
The party had managed to hold on to five out of ten of these seats in 2017, even when the BJP swept the polls.
Malhani Assembly Constituency: An SP bastion, the constituency falls under Jaunpur district and will see a battle between BJP's Krishna Pratap Singh and incumbent MLA Lucky Yadav. With PM Modi campaigning for Singh, the SP will have to prove its mettle on the seat. For the SP, it is a matter of prestige as the seat was once held by stalwart Parasnath Yadav.
In 2020, SP's Lucky Yadav, contesting the bypoll after his father Parasnath Yadav's death, won the seat by defeating Independent candidate Dhananjaya Singh with a margin of over 4,600 votes. This time again, the seat is seeing a high-pitched battle with former Jaunpur MP KP Singh contesting on the BJP ticket.
Mau Sadar Assembly Constituency: Held by jailed mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari since 1996, the seat will see a contest between his son Abbas Ansari on a Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) ticket, BJP's Ashok Singh, and BSP's Bheem Rajbhar.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)