UP set for final phase of polling

LUCKNOW: Polling for the seventh and final phase of election to 59 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh began this morning amid tight security. About 1.78 crore voters in nine districts of eastern UP are likely to exercise their franchise which would decide the fate of 934 contestants, including 162 having a criminal history and 49 women candidates.

Prominent among those whose fate will be decided in the polls on Tuesday are state ministers Ambika Chaudhary, Sitaram Nishad, Shardanand Anchal and Balram Yadav and several senior leaders of the ruling Samajwadi Party.

Mafia don Mukhtar Ansari, Amar Mani Tripathi, the main accused in the murder of poetess Madhumita Shukla, and don-turned-minister Harishankar Tewari are also in the fray. Mulayam Singh Yadav-led SP had won 21 seats from this region in the 2002 assembly polls, closely followed by Mayawati's BSP which roped in 17 seats.

BJP won 10 seats from this region last time while the Congress quota was four. Independents and others won the the other seven seats.

Over 19,400 EVMs are being used in this phase and 17,014 polling stations and 9,204 polling centres had been set up for voters to exercise their franchise.

Kaudiram in Gorakhpur is the biggest constituency with 341 polling stations and Farenda in Maharajganj is the smallest with 238 polling centres.

To ensure free and fair elections, one observer each had been appointed in all nine district besides over 65,000 central paramilitary personnel and state forces. The districts going to polls are Deoria, Gorakhpur, Ballia, Kushinagar, Maharajganj, Faizabad, Azamgarh, Mau and Ambedkarnagar.

The maximum number of 32 candidates are in fray from Deoria constituency while Kasya seat has nine candidates, the least number of candidates from a constituency in this phase. The total strength of the Assembly is 403 and the counting of votes will be May 11.