)
Uttar Pradesh has shown downward trend in voting percentages in successive phases of Lok Sabha polling.
However, the polling percentages are slightly better compared to the 2009 general elections.
The rising temperature could be a reason for the successive fall in voting percentages in the elections underway. Of late, the mercury has been hovering around 40 degrees Celsius and it rose to 43 degrees on April 30, when 14 seats witnessed polling in the fourth phase in UP.
In the four phases of polling concluded so far, the voting percentage has been highest in the first phase on April 10 at 64.95 per cent.
In the successive phases on April 17, 24 and 30, the voting percentage consistently dipped to 62.69 per cent, 60.12 per cent and 59.06 per cent respectively.
The three parliamentary constituencies of Rae Bareli, Kanpur and Lucknow have recorded lowest polling percentages.
Rae Bareli, which is the traditional seat of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, has clocked the lowest polling percentage so far at 52.60 per cent.
Kanpur, which is the electoral battleground of union coal minister Sriprakash Singh and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Murli Manohar Joshi, has recorded the second lowest polling percentage at 54 per cent.
Lucknow stands third in recording lowest percentage at 54.35 per cent. BJP president Rajnath Singh and Congress’ Rita Bahuguna Joshi are top contenders from the Lucknow seat, which has in the past been represented by former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
The western UP district of Saharanpur and the arid centre of Jhansi have stood first and second in voting percentages, with 73.43 per cent and 70.40 per cent respectively.
The elections were scheduled in six phases in UP — April 10 (10 seats), 17 (11 seats), 24 (12 seats), 30 (14 seats), May 7 (15 seats) and 12 (18 seats). UP sends the maximum number of 80 MPs to Parliament.
