UP Elections 2017: Voting ends for fourth phase in peaceful atmosphere

The fourth phase polling in Uttar Pradesh ended in 53 assembly constituencies spread over 12 districts, including the backward Bundelkhand region and the Nehru-Gandhi pocket borough of Rae Bareli.

Assembly segments in Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency were among the seats where the electoral exercise took place.

However, in a first since 1998, Gandhi gave campaigning a miss in her constituency.

Other districts which went to polls in this phase include Pratapgarh, Kaushambi, Allahabad, Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Mahoba, Banda, Hamirpur, Chitrakoot, Fatehpur and backward and water-scarce Bundelkhand region.

The pace of voting was slow in the first few hours but picked up as the day advanced. The exercise was by and large peaceful in view of tight security arrangements.

The fate of 680 candidates will be decided by 1.84 crore voters including 84 lakh women and 1,032 transgenders.

26 candidates are contesting from Allahabad North, while only six candidates are in fray in Khaga (Fatehpur), Manjhanpur (Kaushambi) and Kunda (Pratapgarh).

Also Read: Watch Live | PM Modi in Basti: 'Crime graph is high in Uttar Pradesh'

In 2012 polls, out of the 53 seats in this phase, Samajwadi Party had won 24, BJP 5, Bahujan Samaj Party 15, Congress 6 and ‘others’ 3.

Prominent contestants include sitting MLA Aradhana Mishra from Rampur Khas (Pratapgarh), the daughter of Congress MP Pramod Tiwari, and Independent MLA and minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya, who is again contesting from his traditional Kunda (Pratapgarh) seat.

In Rae Bareli, Aditi Singh is contesting on Congress ticket, BSP turncoat Swami Prasad Maurya’s son Utkarsh Maurya is in fray from Unchahar seat, while Leader of Opposition Gaya Charan Dinkar is contesting from Naraini (Banda) seat.

Senior SP leader Reoti Raman Singh’s son Ujjwal Raman Singh is in the race from Karchana (Allahabad) seat.

The BSP has fielded its nominees in all seats, while BJP’s nominees are in 48 constituencies. The BJP has left 6 seats for its ally Apna Dal. The SP nominees are contesting 30 segments and its ally, Congress, is in contest from 25 constituencies.

Here are the live updates:

#8:30 PM

13.49 crore of cash, 3.26 lakh litres of liquor worth about 8.17 crore seized in 4th phase of polls: Election Commission - ANI

#6:50 PM

61% voter turnout recorded in 4th phase till 5 PM - ANI

#5:06 PM

Polling ended in the fourth phase of elections.

#4:20 PM

Around 55 % polling till 4 PM in phase-IV -PTI

#3:48 PM

50.37% voter turnout till 3.00 PM - ANI

50.37% voter turnout in #UPPolls2017 till 3.00 PM. pic.twitter.com/MOlKMcrAqC

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 23, 2017

#1:39 PM

39% voting recorded till 1 PM-ANI

#12:19 PM

25-27% voting recorded till 12 PM-PTI

#12:17 PM

23.78% voting recorded till 11am in fourth phase- ANI

#11:41 AM 

BSP leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui casts his vote at booth number 84 in Banda- ANI

#10:57 AM

 West Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi casts his vote at booth no 252 in Allahabad

#10:36 AM

UP polls: 12-15% voter turnout recorded till 10 AM in fourth phase 

#10:07 AM

Villagers boycott polling in Fatehpur's Khaga over development-related issue, 0 vote at booths 105 and 106, 9 at booth 107 and 8 at booth 109- ANI

#9:37 AM

10.23% voting recorded till 9 AM in 4th phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections- ANI

#9:47 AM

UP BJP Chief Keshav Prasad Maurya casts his vote in Allahabad

#9:36 AM

Polling percentage till 9 AM: 

Pratapgarh- 10.4%
Jhansi- 11%
Jaluan- 8% 
Rae Bareli- 9.5%
Fatehpur -10% 

# 9.15 AM

Voting percentage till 9 am in fourth phase of #uppolls2017 pic.twitter.com/MkvrJ53cCv

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 23, 2017

Union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti casts her vote Hamirpur

#8:09 AM

Voting has still not started in booth no 481 in Jalaun as the EVM machine is not working #UPpolls2017

#7:36 AM

Samajwadi Party and BSP supporters clash in Mahoba, 4 people including SP candidate Siddhgopal Sahu's son injured-ANI

Mahoba(UP): Clash between SP and BSP supporters,4 including Samajwadi Party candidate Siddhgopal Sahu's son injured pic.twitter.com/0h1UosLVy5

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 23, 2017

#7:20 AM

Raebareli: Voting underway in polling booth no. 178 in Shree Gandhi Vidyalaya Inter College

Raebareli: Voting underway in polling booth no.178 in Shree Gandhi Vidyalaya Inter College #uppolls2017 pic.twitter.com/uHzkwXTs8d

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 23, 2017

#7:16 AM

Allahabad: Voting underway in polling booth no. 245 in Jwala Devi Saraswati Shishu Mandir