UP ULB Elections: Poor voter turnout in 2nd phase

Despite all efforts to increase turnout, the voter’s response remained dull in the polling for the second phase of urban local body election in Uttar Pradesh. Votes were polled for urban local bodies in 38 districts of UP on Thursday. Though the campaigning for the elections was on a high pitch yet it failed to drag voters to the polling booths and barely 50 per cent votes were polled. Barring sporadic incidents of clashes, polling remained peaceful in all the districts.

Low numbers in several districts

As per the figures released by the state election commission, 49.33 votes were polled for seven municipal corporations, 95 councils and 268 town area committees of 38 districts. Though the commission officials said that the poll percentage might go up after the entire data is being received. A maximum of 65.77 percent vote was polled in Baghpat district while lowest turnout was 41.91 percent in Ghaziabad. In the second phase of urban bodies elections votes were polled for electing mayors and corporators in seven municipal corporations of Meerut, Bareilly, Ghaziabad, Ayodhya, Kanpur, Aligarh and Shahjahanpur. Among these 46.40 percent votes were polled in Kanpur, 46.20 in Aligarh, 46.75 percent in Bareilly and 57.60 percent in Ayodhya.

Violence reported in some districts

Among the districts where poll percentage was above 60 were Baghpat, Kannauj, Mau, Amethi, Hamirpur, Kanpur Rural, Bulandshahr and Gautambuddhnagar. In Etah district supporters of two candidates clashed accusing each other of bogus voting and stone was pelted while in Baghpat there was ruckus outside a polling booth. In Kanpur an election agent of a political party was arrested in Basti two candidates clashed with each other. The elections commission claimed that barring a few minor incidents polling has been peaceful. The counting for the urban local bodies would be held on Saturday and results to be announced on the same day evening.