Uttar Pradesh Voter Turnout Analysis: Fourth Phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024

The fourth phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in Uttar Pradesh saw an average voter turnout of approximately 58.09 percent across 13 constituencies. Despite minor incidents of altercation and Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) malfunctioning, the state election commission reported peaceful polling across all 13 seats – Shahjahanpur (SC), Kheeri, Dhaurahra, Sitapur, Hardoi (SC), Mishrikh (SC), Unnao, Farrukhabad, Etawah (SC), Kannauj, Kanpur, Akbarpur, and Bahraich (SC).

According to data released by the state election commission, voter turnout in the constituencies varied, ranging from 53.24 percent in Shahjahanpur (SC) to 64.73 percent in Kheeri.

Ensuring Fair Elections

Navdeep Rinwa, State Chief Election Officer, emphasized the peaceful conduct of polling across all 13 Lok Sabha Seats. Measures such as webcasting at 14,126 polling places and videography at 5,420 polling stations were implemented to ensure transparency and fairness in the voting process.

Postal Ballot Participation

A total of 35,045 voters, including those above 85 years of age, Divyangjan, Essential Services, and Polling Personnel, cast their votes through postal ballots in the fourth phase.

Political Landscape

In this phase, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retained 11 sitting MPs and introduced two new candidates – Ramesh Awasthi from Kanpur and Anand Kumar from Bahraich-SC. The Samajwadi Party contested on 11 seats, while the Congress fielded candidates on Kanpur and Sitapur seats.

Key Contests

Notable contests were observed in Lakhimpur Kheri and Kannauj constituencies. Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni, whose son is implicated in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, contested from Kheri for BJP. Meanwhile, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav contested from Kannauj.

Allegations and Claims

On the polling day, Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of election rigging, alleging disruptions in polling booths.

Decrease in Voter Turnout

Comparing with the 2019 Lok Sabha Polls, Rinwa noted a slight dip in the average voter turnout in this phase. This trend follows previous phases where voter turnout also saw a decline compared to the 2019 elections.