Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Turnout improves in 6 Uttar Pradesh seats in Phase 5

LUCKNOW: The fifth phase polling for 14 seats in UP on Monday recorded a turnout of 57.91% (till 6pm), which was slightly lower than 58.28% turnout in 2019 LS polls.

At least six constituencies crossed their 2019 figure, said the Election Commission.

Though the fifth phase turnout in UP was better than the second (55.19%) and third (57.55%) phases, it fell short of the first division.

A turnout of 61.11 % was recorded in the first phase and 58.22 % in fourth phase.

UP chief electoral officer Navdeep Rinwa said, "The highest jump in voter turnout (3.54%) was registered in Barabanki (67.1%) compared to 63.56% in 2019.

"Rae Bareli registered 58.04% turnout in comparison to 56.12% in 2019, while Kaiserganj's turnout was 55.68% in comparison to 54.25% in 2019. Three more constituencies, Fatehpur 57.05%, Amethi 54.4% and reserved seat Mohanlalganj 62.72%, registered higher turnout as compared to 2019," he added.

By 9pm, ECI voter data showed that Lucknow had registered 52.23% turnout, Jalaun (SC) 56.15%, Jhansi 63.7%, Hamirpur 60.56%, Banda 59.64%, Kaushambi (SC) 52.79%, Faizabad 59.1%, Lucknow 52.23 % and Gonda 51.64%.

Kursi assembly constituency in Barabanki recorded the highest voter turnout of 70.45% compared to 65.98% in 2019, followed by Mehroni AC of Lalitpur district which recorded 70.41%, while Utraula assembly seat of Gonda PC registered lowest 45.34% polling.

Total 21,907 postal ballot votes were collected from 14 constituencies, while 67 each ballot and control unit and 238 VVPATs were replaced during the polling on Monday.

Rinwa said, "Around 250 complaints were received, including those for being denied to vote, pressured to vote for a particular political party, and fake voting. There were around 50 complaints regarding the gathering of large crowds at polling booths."

There were many complaints that went viral on social media and were later taken into cognizance by ECI.

In the Mahura Kalan of Gosaiganj area of Lucknow district, a woman claimed that after pressing the ballot unit button on the lotus symbol, the VVPAT showed cycle slip.

Similarly in Jhansi, a woman identified as Geeta Rajput alleged that she was informed by polling authorities that her vote was already polled at Badagaon inter-college polling station, but she never pressed the EVM ballot unit button. A similar allegation was made by another voter Yogesh Shukla in Rae Bareli.

While in Banda, a man was caught on camera outside room number 3 of Khinni Naka polling booth, trying to influence people to vote for a particular party by posing with a poster. This happened in the presence of paramilitary and police forces. The video of the incident went viral on social media.