LUCKNOW, March 7: Over 57 per cent turnout was recorded on Monday in 54 assembly seats in the seventh and last phase of Uttar Pradesh polls, marking the end of the voting process spread over two months in the crucial state. The counting of votes in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa will be on March 10.
In the final phase, a total of 613 candidates were in the fray for the 54 seats, including those falling in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary segment Varanasi.
Voting started at 7 am and ended at 6 pm, except in Naxal-hit Chakia in Chandauli, and Robertsganj and Duddhi seats in Sonbhadra where it concluded at 4 pm.
According to the Election Commission, 57.53 per cent voting was recorded. The polling percentage in the seventh phase of the 2017 Assembly elections was 59.56 per cent. No untoward incident was reported from the state, Additional Chief Electoral Officer BDR Tiwari said.
The final polling figure will be available on Tuesday, an official said.
The state has seen a decrease in voter turnout in the last three phases. In the first six phases, the state recorded a turnout of 62.43 per cent, 64.42 per cent, 62.28 per cent, 61.52 per cent, 57.32 per cent and 55.79 per cent. The state had recorded an overall 61.24 per cent polling in the 2017 assembly elections.
Campaigning in this phase reached its crescendo with Modi leading the BJP’s poll blitzkrieg in Varanasi and its adjoining districts. (PTI)
