Uttar Pradesh Assembly Polls: 57 pc turnout in Phase Five

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh, India), Feb 23 (PTI) An estimated 57 per cent of the 15.7 million strong electorate exercised their franchise today in the fifth phase of the Uttar Pradesh state legislative assembly elections spread over 49 seats. Polling started at 7.00 AM amidst tight security and ended at 5.00 PM with turnout at around 57 per cent, Election Commission sources said here. In this phase, the electoral fate of 829 candidates, including that of Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Shivpal Singh Yadav, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Uma Bharati and former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh was decided. Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, is voting in seven phases, to elect the next legislative assembly and government. With today's poll, voting in 275 of the total 403 constituencies spread over five phases has been completed with the electoral prospects of 4,674 candidates sealed. PTI