UP polls: Filing of nominations for the fifth phase of election starts

Filing of nominations for the fifth phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh started this morning with the issuance of notification for 52 seats spread across 11 districts including Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s parliamentary constituency Amethi.

The filing of nominations started at 11 AM with issuance of notifications, according to the office of UP Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).

While the last date of filing nominations is February 9, withdrawals could be made till February 13 while polling will be held on February 27.

The districts going to polls in this phase include Balrampur, Gonda, Faizabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Bahraich, Shravasti, Siddharth Nagar, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Amethi and Sultanpur.

Ruling Samajwadi Party had won 37 seats out of 52 in 2012 Assembly polls while BJP and Congress won five seats each, BSP had won three while the Peace party won two seats in this phase.

Districts Shravasti, Balrampur, Sultanpur and Ambedkar Nagar had emerged as stronghold of Samajwadi Party with the party winning in all the seats there.

A total of 1.84 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise at 12,791 polling stations and 19,167 polling booths in this phase.