Counting of votes in 3 states on Tuesday

New Delhi, Feb 25 (UNI) Counting of votes polled in the assembly elections in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Manipur will be taken up on Tuesday, the outcome of which may have a bearing on the electoral exercise in the politically most important state of Uttar Pradesh in April-May.

Counting will also be taken up in the byelections to the Lok Sabha in Amritsar (Punjab) and Tehri Garhwal (Uttarakhand), amid tight security arrangements.

While voting was held in three phases in Manipur, there was a one-day poll in both Punjab and Uttarakhand. The three-phased voting in Manipur was held on February 8, 14 and 23.

About 60 per cent of the 1.65 crore voters exercised their franchise in election to 115 of the 117 assembly seats in Punjab on February 13. Around 1,040 candidates were in the fray in the state where the Congress and the SAD-BJP combine are the main contenders for power.

Nearly 55 to 60 per cent out of the 60,00,000 voters exercised their franchise in the Uttarakhand Assembly election on February 21.

Out of a total of 806 candidates, 785 candidates were left in the fray for 69 seats after Bajpur Assembly election was deferred due to the death of the Congress candidate from the constituency. The Congress and the BJP are pitted against each other in this state.

In Manipur, the first phase of election on February 8 witnessed 80-82 per cent turnout. In all 77 candidates were in the fray for 19 seats.

Eighty-five to ninety per cent of 7.38 lakh had cast their votes in the second phase on February 14 to decide the fate of 155 candidates for 29 seats, while on February 23, 80 per cent polling was recorded in the third and final phase of election to 12 Assembly seats where 75 candidates were in the fray.

The Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency saw a close fight between BJP's Navjot Singh Sidhu and Punjab finance minister Surinder Singla of Congress. Polling in the constituency was held on February 13.

The Tehri Garhwal Lok Sabha by-poll was necessitated due to the death of Manavendra Shah on January 5, 2007. It was a battle between the the son of late H N Bahuguna and the son of Manavendra Shah. The byelections was held on the same day as the assembly polls.

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