PM appeals to voters to exercise their franchise in large numbers
In a social media post on X, he specially urged women voters and youth voters to vote in large numbers.
The seventh and final phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh, which began at 7 am on Wednesday, got over around 5 pm amid tight security. The polling witnessed a turnout of women voters in large numbers.
Around 56 per cent of the 1.41 crore electorate exercised their franchise till 4 pm in the elections covering 40 Assembly seats spread over seven districts. Among the voters in the final phase of polling, 64.76 lakh are women.
All eyes are on the Assembly segments in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi.
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Three Naxal-affected districts of Sonbhadra, Mirzapur and Chandauli, along with the five Assembly segments under Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency, are in prime focus.
In Jaunpur, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Jafarabad seat Harendra Pratap Singh and four others were arrested for allegedly carrying voters to polling booths in two vehicles.
Polling concluded at 5 pm in all constituencies, except Naxal-hit Duddhi, Robertsganj and Chakia seats, where it ended at 4 pm.
The counting of votes polled in all the seven phases of the Assembly polls will be taken up on March 11.
Over 14,458 polling booths and 8,682 polling centres have been set up for Wednesday's exercise which will decide fate of 585 candidates, including 51 women.
The BJP is contesting 32 seats and its allies – the Apana Dal and the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party – are contesting on four seats each.
While the SP is contesting 31 seats, its ally the Congress is in the race for the remaining seats.
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