UP polls: 38.72 % voter turnout recorded till 1 pm

The fifth phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly polls saw a voter turnout of 38.72 percent till 1 p.m on Monday.

The voting is being held across 11 districts. The districts going to polls in this phase are Amethi, Sultanpur, Faizabad, Barabanki, Ambedkarnagar, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Gonda, Basti, Siddharthnagar and Sant Kabir Nagar.

While there are 52 constituencies in this phase, elections are being held in only 51 seats as the Election Commission has postponed polls in Alapur after the death of a Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Chandrashekhar Kanauji.

Elections will be held in Alapur on March 9.

A total of 607 candidates including 40 women are in the fray. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded its nominees in all 51 segments while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is contesting in 50 seats. The saffron party has left one seat to its ally Apana Dal.

The Samajwadi Party nominees are in fray from 43 constituencies and its ally Congress is contesting 14 seats.

Elaborate arrangements have been made to ensure free and fair polls. Six police observers have been deployed to keep an eye on security arrangements.

Over 1,600 hamlets and over 2,300 polling stations have been identified as sensitive and critical and special security measures have been made in these localities. Polling process is being webcast live from 1792 polling stations.

--ANI