'Exemplary' 64 percent turnout in phase 1 of UP polling

The first phase of UP polls in 73 assembly constituencies on Saturday witnessed an "exemplary" 64.22 per cent voter turnout.

IMAGE: Muslim girls show their inked fingers after casting votes during the first phase of UP assembly polls in Aligarh on Saturday. Photograph: PTI Photo

The Election Commission did not give the figures of voter turnout on the corresponding seats in the 2012 assembly polls, but said the percentage recorded on Saturday was higher than the 58.62 overall turnout recorded in the state then.

The overall turnout in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls was 59.12 per cent.

IMAGE: A woman leaves after casting her vote at a polling booth in Hapur. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

Deputy Election Commissioner in charge of Uttar Pradesh Vijay Dev termed the turnout as "exemplary" and said it will "set the tone for the remaining six phases" to be held between February 15 and March 8.

Etah recorded 73 per cent turnout, Muzaffarnagar 65 pc, Bulandshahr 64 pc, Noida 60 pc and Ghaziabad 57 pc, Chief Electoral Officer T Venkatesh said.

A total of 2.60 crore voters, including over 1.17 crore women and 1,508 belonging to third gender category were eligible to cast their ballot to decide the fate of 839 candidates.

IMAGE: People queue to cast their vote in the town of Shamli. Photograph: Cathal McNaughton/Reuters

A report from Baghpat said members of different communities clashed in Baghu colony in the city when one side tried stop the other from casting their votes. Ten persons were injured in the clash and had to be admitted to hospital, police said.

Another incident of violence was reported from Baghpat, where Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal workers obstructed Dalit voters from casting their vote in Looyan village under Badaut area, leading to clash and FIR being lodged against three party workers.

IMAGE: A man (right) casts his vote as polling officers look on at a polling booth in Hapur. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

In Meerut, police detained Gagan Som, brother of controversial BJP leader Sangeet Som, for carrying a pistol inside a polling booth.

Gagan had reached the polling booth in Sardhana Assembly seat at 9am. The security personnel deployed there frisked him and recovered a pistol from his possession. He was immediately detained, police said.

IMAGE: People queue to cast their vote as a security personnel stands guard at a polling station in Hapur. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

Officials said that as per the poll code, those possessing licensed weapons are required to deposit them with the police. The permission to keep arms is granted in special cases only.

Sangeet is a sitting MLA from Sardhana and had shot to limelight for his controversial speeches during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.

The first phase of polling will decide the electoral fortunes of son of Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Pankaj Singh (from Noida), Congress Legislature Party leader Pradeep Mathur (Mathura) against whom BJP spokesman Srikant Sharma is in the fray, daughter of BJP MP Hukum Singh Mriganka Singh (Kairana), and controversial BJP MLAs Sangeet Som and Suresh Rana from Sardhana and Thanabhawan respectively.

IMAGE: A woman looks at the Electronic Voting Machine before casting her vote inside a booth at a polling station. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

Former BJP state president Lakshmikant Bajpai (Meerut), RJD chief Lalu Prasad's son-in-law Rahul Singh (SP) from Sikandrabad, and Sandeep Singh, grandson of Rajasthan Govenor Kalyan Singh from Atrauli are among other key figures in this phase.

The districts where polling was held are Hapur, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Etah and Kasganj.

In the 73 constituencies where polling was held, SP and BSP had bagged 24 seats each in the 2012 polls, BJP 11, RLD nine and Congress five.

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