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Polling officials during the submission of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and other election material at a strong room at Paharia Mandi, after the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha polls, in Varanasi, Saturday, June 1, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI
A voter turnout of approximately 55.6% was recorded till 5 p.m. on Saturday in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh.
In the 13 seats in the Purvanchal (eastern U.P.) region that went to the polls in the final phase, which includes the prestigious seat of Varanasi from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is contesting, the following voter turnouts were recorded: Chandauli — 60.34%; Varanasi — 56.35%; Ballia — 51.84%; Bansgaon — 51.59%; Deoria — 55.30%; Ghazipur — 55.21%; Ghosi — 54.87%; Gorakhpur — 54.69%; Kushinagar — 57.29%; Maharajganj — 60.08%; Mirzapur — 57.72%; Salempur — 51.25%; and Robertsganj — 55.92%.
In the prestigious seat of Varanasi, Congress’ candidate Ajay Rai alleged that the administration was trying to influence voting, adding that workers of the Indian, National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) faced house arrest. “In Varanasi Lok Sabha, the administration is trying to influence the voting by putting INDIA Alliance leaders/workers under house arrest. Right now, Councilor and Congress party leader Gulshan Ali ji has been put under house arrest. When I asked why this has happened, I did not get any proper answer,” Mr. Rai posted on social media platform X.
Several other Opposition INDIA bloc candidates levelled similar charges, with Afzal Ansari, the Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate from Ghazipur accusing Abhinav Sinha, son of Lieutenant-Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, of attempting to influence polling. “At booth numbers 261, 262, 263 Primary School Navapura under Ghazipur Sadar assembly constituency of Ghazipur Lok Sabha, at around 2:00 pm, Abhinav Sinha, son of Hon’ble Manoj Sinha (Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir), arrived in a convoy of about 20 vehicles with 70-75 people, who are not voters at that booth, and are trying to cast fake votes for the supporters who have come with him. ECI [Election Commission of India] please take cognizance and take appropriate action,” Mr. Ansari said on X.
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