Lucknow: An approximate voter turnout of 58% was recorded in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections held on Monday across 14 constituencies in 21 districts of Uttar Pradesh. The by-election for Lucknow East also saw a 52.45% voter turnout.
UP Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa noted that the voter turnout for this phase is expected to slightly surpass the 58.38% recorded in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, potentially increasing by 0.5%.
In the 2019 elections, the BJP secured victories in 13 out of these 14 seats, with Rae Bareli being the exception, won by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. The constituencies in this phase include Mohanlalganj, Lucknow, Rae Bareli, Amethi, Jalaun, Jhansi, Hamirpur, Banda, Fatehpur, Barabanki, Kaushambi, Faizabad, Kaiserganj, and Gonda.
Rinwa confirmed that the polling was generally peaceful, with no major incidents reported. However, over 100 complaints were received regarding malfunctioning EVMs, allegations of fake voting, slow polling, and voter discrimination by polling staff.
In Fatehpur, BJP candidate and Union Minister of State Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti reported an alleged attack by Samajwadi Party (SP) workers in Jahanabad. She claimed that SP workers attempted to attack her while she was visiting polling booths in the area.
In a notable achievement, three polling booths in the Mehrauni assembly seat in Lalitpur district, part of the Jhansi Lok Sabha seat, recorded 100% voter turnout. This was facilitated by special efforts from the district election officer, who even paid for the air ticket of one voter from Mumbai to Bhopal.
Voting began at 7 am and concluded at 6 pm. Uttar Pradesh, with the highest representation in the 543-member Lok Sabha, is one of the few states, along with West Bengal and Bihar, to hold polling in all phases of the elections.
On the crucial polling day in Rae Bareli, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi participated actively in the electoral process. He offered prayers at the Peepaleshwar Hanuman Temple and inspected polling booths. Gandhi, who is also contesting from Wayanad in Kerala, arrived in Rae Bareli after landing at Lucknow airport earlier in the day.
Rae Bareli, a constituency with historical significance, has been a stronghold for the Gandhi family. Sonia Gandhi, now a Rajya Sabha member, served as the MP for Rae Bareli before her transition to the upper house earlier this year.
Prominent leaders such as Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani also cast their votes in this phase, which includes constituencies with significant political stakes. Former Union Minister Pradeep Jain Aditya represents Congress in Jhansi, while ex-SP state president Naresh Uttam Patel contests from Fatehpur.
Karan Bhushan Singh, son of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, is the BJP candidate in Kaiserganj. Other notable candidates include Tanuj Punia in Barabanki, Shreya Verma in Gonda, and Pushpendra Saroj in Kaushambi.
The BJP has fielded 11 sitting MPs, with new candidates in Barabanki and Kaiserganj. The SP is contesting 10 seats, with its INDIA bloc partner Congress contesting four. The BSP is contesting all 14 seats independently, leading to a triangular contest in these constituencies.
