India: Thirds phase assembly poll in Uttar Pradesh records 56 per cent turn out

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh, India), Feb 15 (PTI) Around 56 per cent of a 17.8 million-strong electorate spread over 10 districts today exercised its franchise for 56 seats in the third phase of the assembly polls in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in which the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party of Chief Minister Mayawati is facing a strong challenge from the Congress, Samajwadi Party and Bhartiya Janata Party. In the incident-free third phase of the seven-phase elections to constitute the next 403-member state legislative assembly the electorate voted to decide the fate of 1,018 candidates including three cabinet ministers, a minister of state, 29 sitting MLAs and 14 former ministers. The polls were held in Amethi and Rae Bareli, pocket boroughs of Nehru-Gandhi family, CSM Nagar, Sultanpur, Kaushambi, Allahabad, Jaunpur, Varanasi, Sant Ravidas Nagar and Naxal-hit areas of Chandauli, Mirzapur and Sonbhadra. The remaining phases of polling will be held on February 19, 23, 28 and March 3. Counting of votes will take place on March 6. The first phase of polling on February 8 in 55 constituencies in 10 districts had recorded around 63 per cent turn out while the voting percentage in the second phase on February 11 for 59 seats spread over nine districts was 59 per cent. PTI