45 pc polling in phase VII; no untoward incident reported

Lucknow, May 8 (UNI) An estimated 45 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise today during polling for the seventh and last phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly election in 59 constituencies which passed off peacefully under unprecedented security cover.

State additional Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Devesh Chaturvedi told UNI here that the polling was peaceful and over 45 per cent of the 1.78 crore voters exercised their franchise.

The official voter turnout till 1100 hrs was 14.5 per cent and 33.8 per cent till 1500 hrs.

Mr Chaturvedi said a sub-inspector of Narhi police station in Copachit assembly seat in Ballia district was suspended after he was found asking voters to cast their votes for a particular candidate.

A minor clash was also reported from Barhaj assembly seat in Deoria district where supporters of BJP and BSP clashed over illegal checking of ration cards of the voters by the BSP candidate.

''Polling was peaceful and no untoward incident was reported ...action has been taken against a CRPF personnel for allegedly outraging a girl's modesty in Maharajganj,'' he said.

According to EC sources, preliminary teething trouble were reported from several places due to non-functioning of the EVMs, which were replaced immediately.

Mr Chaturvedi said several complaints, mostly of faulty electoral rolls, have been recieved by the Commission during the day.

Meanwhile, reports from various districts said polling, which started at a slow pace in the morning, picked up later on as the weather remained moderately hot.

A report from Maharajganj said a CRPF personnel was arrested in Paniyara assembly seat for allegedly trying to molest a girl. The villagers protesting against the incident boycotted the poll.

In Faizabad, about 15,000 voters of Madhepur panchayat of Sohalwal assembly seat boycotted the polls owing to the negligence towards development in the area.

Encouraged by the violence-free six phases of polling, the EC has further tightened the security arrangements for the last phase.

Prominent candidates, whose fate was today sealed in the EVMs are: Former UP Chief Minister and Congress candidate Ram Naresh Yadav (Phulpur), UP Ministers and SP candidates Ambikar Choudhury (Copachit), Ram Govind Chouhdury (Bansdih), Narad Rai (Balia), Kameshwar Upadhaya, criminal-turned-politician Harishanker Tiwari (Chilupar), Amarmani Tripathi (Laxmipur) and Mukhtar Ansari (Mau), BSP state president and candidate Lalji Verma (Tanda) and rebel SP MP Beni Prasad Verma (Ayodhya).

Counting of votes will be undertaken on May 11 from 0700 hrs and the new assembly is expected to be constituted before May 13 when the term of the present assembly expires.

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