Don’t miss the latest developments in business and finance.

UP clocks 46% polling till 3 pm

Mulayam faces acid test in pocket borough

Virendra Singh Rawat Lucknow
Last Updated : Apr 24 2014 | 4:05 PM IST
Uttar Pradesh recorded over 46.77 percent polling in 12 parliamentary constituencies till 3 pm in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state today.

This phase is an acid test for Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav and his prime ministerial ambitions as this region has been a traditional stronghold of his party.

At least three members of the powerful Yadav family are contesting in this phase, including Mulayam (Mainpuri), his daughter-in-law and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s wife Dimple (Kannauj) and Mulayam’s nephew Akshay, who is the son of party’s general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, who is making his electoral debut from Firozabad.

More From This Section

The 12 constituencies are Hathras, Mathura, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etah, Hardoi, Farrukhabad, Etawah, Kannauj and Akbarpur.

Maximum voting was reported from Firozabad at 53.80 percent, followed by Kannauj (51.90), Mathura (50.20) and Agra (49.96).

Minimum voting emerged from Etawah at 41.90 percent, preceded by Etah (42.91), Akbarpur (43.10) and Farrukhabad (43.40).

In 2009 Lok Sabha polls, these constituencies had recorded 46.63 percent polling, which had improved considerably to 60.42 percent in 2012 assembly polls.

Over 20 million electorates are to decide the fate of 188 candidates, including 20 women candidates in fray for these 12 constituencies, of which 4 are reserved seats.

Actor-turned-politician Hema Malini is seeking election from Mathura as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee, maverick politician and Mulayam’s bete noire Amar Singh is fighting from Fatehpur Sikri as Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) candidate, Congress leader and foreign minister Salman Khurshid is contesting from Farrukhabad etc. Kalyan Singh’s son Rajbir is seeking election from Etah.

Hema Malini is up against RLD chief Ajit Singh’s son Jayant Chaudhary in Mathura. Interestingly, a Hema Malini’s namesake is also in fray as an independent.

In 2009, Lok Sabha election, SP had won the maximum 5 seats of the 12 seats going to polls. However, it had lost one of the 5 seats in the bypoll, which had brought down its tally to 4. Dimple was defeated by Congress’ Raj Babbar in Firozabad, which was vacated by Akhilesh, who had retained Kannauj.

In 2012 assembly poll, Akhilesh gave up Kannauj seat to enter the state assembly, while Dimple was elected unopposed from the seat.

Congress and RLD had won 3 and 2 seats respectively, while BJP and Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had won a seat each. One seat was won by Kalyan Singh-led Rashtriya Kranti Party (RKP). RKP has already been merged in BJP.

Meanwhile, sporadic reports of poll boycott were received from some pockets in Firozabad and Auraiya districts.

Also Read

First Published: Apr 24 2014 | 4:04 PM IST

Next Story