New Delhi: The battle for Uttar Pradesh Assembly nears a fierce end as the fifth phase of elections commences across 57 assembly constituencies spread over nine districts, amidst tight security on Saturday.
BSP supremo Mayawati, riding high on the exit poll results that predicts the Bahujan Samaj Party’s near victory said, “I will come in absolute majority. There is no need for external support.”
Mayawati welcomed the first-ever violence-free polls in the history of the state and patted back of the Election Commission for the feat. “The EC has done a commendable job in ensuring free and fair elections,” she added.
Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, BJP president Rajnath Singh and BSP supremo Mayawati were expected to exercise their franchise in Lucknow on Saturday.
The districts going to polls included Lucknow, Rae Bareli, Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Fatehpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Banda and Chitrakoot.
Over 1.59 crore voters are likely to decide the fate of 850 candidates, including state ministers Naresh Agarwal, Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya and Rajaram Pandey, Opposition leader Lalji Tandon, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari and BSP legislative party leader Swami Prasad Maurya.
The Congress, once again, takes the cake for fielding the richest nominee, though the ruling Samajwadi Party tops the list with 18 multimillionaires in the fray.
Encouraged by the violence-free polling in earlier four phases of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, the Election Commission has further tightened security arrangements for the fifth phase. The border with Madhya Pradesh in Banda and Chitrakoot districts has been sealed.
The Central Para Military Forces (CPMF) have been deployed in all the polling booths and sensitive areas to maintain law and order. Deputy Election Commissioner J P Prakash has been appointed by the EC to keep a constant vigil in the sensitive areas by making rounds in a helicopter while the 57 constituencies have been provided with nine additional central observers to monitor the polling.
The phase is crucial as the assembly segments in the parliamentary constituencies of Vajpayee and Congress President Sonia Gandhi will be at stake.
Political strength of former prime minister and Jan Morcha founder V P Singh will also be tested in this phase in his home constituency of Fatepur. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's constituency Amethi will also witness some close contest in this phase.
57
No. of voters
1.61 crore
No. of candidates
850
Women candidates
57
No. of polling station
15,743
Electronic voting machines
18,100
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