Around 25 per cent votes were polled till noon 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 10 districts began at 7 a.m. and 24.7 per cent polling was registered till noon, Chief Eelectoral Officer Mr Umesh Sinha said.
Several prominent leaders, including MP Ms Jaya Prada, BJP national general secretary Mr Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and SP leader Mr Azam Khan cast their votes.
Lakhimpur registered 24 per cent, Badaun 23 per cent, Bheemnagar 27 per cent and Bijnor 25 per cent polling.
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 Kheri.
Besides Samajwadi Party’s Muslim face Mr Mohammad Azam Khan, who is contesting from Rampur, the fate of minister Omvati in the Mayawati government from Nagina, BSP MP Jugal Kishore’s son Mr Saurabh from Kasta and Rastriya Parivartan Dal head Mr D.P. Yadav, considered heavyweight from Sahsawan seat, would be decided in this concluding phase.
This phase was earlier scheduled for February four last but was later postponed to March 3.
The impact of BJP MP from Aonla Ms Maneka Gandhi, her son and BJP MP from Pilibhit Mr Varun Gandhi, Union Minister and MP from Dhaurara seat in Lakhimpur, Mr Jitin Prasad and Congress MP Mr Azharuddin in their constituencies would be keenly watched.
In the 2007 Assembly polls, BSP had bagged 27 of these seats, while SP and BJP had got 17 and nine seats, respectively.
After casting his vote at Rampurv BJP leader Mr Naqvi said his party would form the next government in the State.