64.7% turnout in Dhaurahra, highest in west UP in 5th phase

SHAHJAHANPUR: Polling in Dhaurahra parliamentary constituency on Monday saw 64.7% voters turning out to decide the fate of eight candidates in the fray and recording highest voting percentage in western Uttar Pradesh in the fifth phase.
There are more than 16 lakh registered voters spread across five assembly segments falling under this parliamentary constituency.
Even though the voting remained peaceful, the turnout dipped 3% as compared to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, which had recoded a turnout of 68.02%.Here, BJP candidate Rekha Verma had defeated her closet rival BSP’s Daud Ahmed by a margin of over 1.15 lakh votes.
However, after the BSP denied a ticket to Ahmed to contest the 2019 LS polls, he is now backing Congress candidate Jitin Prasada, who has been pitted against sitting BJP MP Verma and SP-BSP-RLD’s Arshad Siddiqui, making it a triangular contest. The trio is certain of their victory and were appeared satisfied with the polling percentage.
Though voters turned out enthusiastically and long queues were visible at most of the polling stations, keen poll observers attribute the 3% decline in poll percentage to sweltering heat — Dhaurahra recorded a highest of 42 degrees Celsius, while minimum was recorded at 24 degrees. The voting, however, started gaining momentum as the evening approached, but the turnout could not surpass the previous record. Kasta assembly segment recorded 66.24% turnout, Mohammdi 66.48%, Dhaurahra 61.62%, Maholi (Sitapur) 63.40% and Hargaon (Sitapur) 66%.
Chameli Devi, 103-year-old, cast her vote at Chapartala polling centre in Aurangabad area of Kheri district.
Meanwhile, repolling held at eight polling centres in Shahjahanpur district on Monday under tight security. As many as 7,663 voters were expected to exercise their franchise, but only 3,519 of them turned up. On April 29, the polling percentage was recorded at 45.8, but repolling at eight booths was ordered after contestants expressed their dissatisfaction over polling due to recurring EVM glitches.
Shahjahanpur district magistrate Amrit Tripathi told TOI, “The polling remained peaceful.”