UP election: 52% polling till late afternoon

Around 52% votes were polled amidst sporadic incidents of violence till 3 PM today for the seventh and final phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, marking the end of the month-long exercise.

Polling for the 60 seats, nearly half of which were bagged by BSP last time, in ten districts began at 7 AM and 51.9% polling was registered till 3 PM, Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha said.

The maximum 55% polling was registered in Lakhimpur, followed by 53% in Bijnor.

Bheemnagar recorded 52% polling, Bareilly 50%, Pilibhit 52%, Shahjahanpur 51% and Badaun 49.83% voting, he said.

Meanwhile at Ujhani area in Badaun, JD(U) candidate for Shekhupura seat, Sanjeev Gupta, was assaulted allegedly by SP supporters.

In another incident at Pilibhit district, BJP and Congress men gheraoed a police station after some workers weredetained.

Trouble started when DSP Rafeeq Ahmad allegedly assaulted some BJP and Congress booth workers and took them to the police station where the candidates of both the parties

created a ruckus along with their supporters.

Following the incident Ahmad was removed from poll duty.

At a booth in Jahangirabad in Sahaswan seat of Badaun, sitting MLA D P Yadav had dispute with security forces after he was prevented from entering the booth with his supporters.

More than 1.82 crore voters would decide the electoral fate of 962 candidates, including some political veterans in Bijnore, Moradabad, Bheem Nagar, Rampur, Jyotiba Phule Nagar, Badaun, Bareilly, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur and Lakhimpur.

Earlier scheduled for February four, this phase was later postponed to March three.