While the general voting in the sixth and penultimate phase of the UP polls, held on February 3, was lower than the last time people went out to vote for the 57 seats in this segment, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s constituency of Gorakhpur, saw an increase.
Across other regions, 55.79 per cent polling was recorded. In 2017 assembly polls, the turnout was 56.47 per cent in these 57 seats. In Gorakhpur, the voting was at 58.89 per cent, up from the 2017 figure of 55.1%.
With this, voting for 349 of the total 403 assembly seats been completed. The final phase of polling in the remaining 54 seats will be held on March 7.
According to the ECI, Ambedkarnagar recorded 62.66 per cent voting, Ballia had 52.01 per cent, Balrampur 48.90 per cent, Basti 57.20 per cent, Deoria 56 per cent, Gorakhpur 58.89 per cent (2017, 55.1%), Kushinagar 59 per cent, Mahrajganj Mahrajganj 59.5 per cent, Sant Kabir Nagar 52.20 per cent.
The sixth phase was spread across 10 districts, with 676 candidates in fray.
Gorakhpour drew eyeballs, though, with head of the Gorakhnath temple and incumbent Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath contesting his first Assembly elections from Gorakhpur. CM Adityanath was contesting against Chandra Shekhar Azad, head of Bhim Army, and Azad Samaj Party. Chandra Shekhar is focusing on Dalit atrocities in the BJP regime and is using his campaign to consolidate Dalits.
A total of 2,14,62,816 voters including 1,14,63,113 males, 99,98,383 females and 1,320 third genders were expected to exercise their right to franchise.
The fate of several state ministers such as Surya Pratap Shahi, Satish Chandra Dwivedi, Jai Pratap Singh, Shree Ram Chauhan and Jai Prakash Nishad would also be decided in the sixth phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections 2022.
In 2017, out of these 57 seats, BJP won 46, BSP 5, SP 2, Congress one seat.
