Uttar Pradesh once again voted in the Lok Sabha polls during the fourth phase on May 13. In this phase, polling was held in 13 constituencies including Shahjahanpur, Kheri, Dharuhara, Sitapur, Hardoi, Misrikh, Unnao, Farrukhabad, Etawah, Kannauj, Kanpur, Akbarpur, Bahraich (SC).
The state is of immense significance for political parties as it sends 80 parliamentarians in the Lok Sabha.
In the 2019 general election, the BJP secured 62 off 80 seats while its ally Apna Dal (S) clinched two seats. Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) bagged 10 seats, Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party (SP) got five seats and Congress was reduced to just one seat in the political heartland.
Lok Sabha elections phase 4: Key contests in Uttar Pradesh
One of the most sought-after seat in this phase was the Kannauj Lok Sabha constituency, where SP president Akhilesh Yadav has been fielded against BJP's Subrat Pathak and BSP's Imran Bin Zafar. Akhilesh had won the Kannauj Lok Sabha seat first in 2000 and later represented it in 2004 and 2009.
BJP's Sakshi Maharaj faced SP's Annu Tandon and BSP's Ashok Kumar Pandey in Unnao. Sakshi Ji Maharaj, who currently serves as the MP for Unnao, had won from the constituency in the 2019 general election with a vote share of 56.87 per cent.
In Shahjahanpur, voters witnessed a three-way contest between Arun Kumar Sagar of BJP, Rajesh Kashyap of SP, and Daudram Verma from BSP. Kanpur constituency featured BJP's Ramesh Awasthi locking horns with Congress' Alok Mishra and BSP's Kuldeep Bhadauriya.
Here are the key highlights of the phase 4 Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh:
04:05 pm: A voter turnout of 48.41% was witnessed in Uttar Pradesh till 3 pm.
03:15 pm: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on May 13 urged people to vote in large numbers and "save the country from dishonest people".
12:55 pm: Uttar Pradesh assembly speaker Satish Mahana cast his vote from Kanpur for the fourth phase. "The country has seen a massive change in the last 10 years under the leadership of PM Modi. The way poor, women and youth of the country have been taken care of, this election is for them. This election is not just for the next five years but for the future of the country," he said.
12:05 pm: Uttar Pradesh saw a voter turnout of 27.12 per cent after the first four hours of polling.
10:00 am: A voter turnout of around 11.67 per cent has been recorded in Uttar Pradesh till 9 am, said Election Commission.
09:25 am: "If PM Modi has said '400 paar', I think we will cross 400. Akhilesh Yadav from Kannauj, Dimple Yadav from Mainpuri, Rahul Gandhi from Raebareli and Wayanad and Owaisi from Hyderabad - all of them are losing elections," said BJP candidate from Unnao, Sakshi Maharaj.
09:00 am: BJP MP and candidate from Unnao, Sakshi Maharaj, cast his vote at a polling booth in the constituency.
Samajwadi Party (SP) has fielded Annu Tandon and BSP has fielded Ashok Kumar Pandey here.
8:15 am: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav urged people to step out as a 'samvidhan senani' and vote in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections. "Gather strength to save the Constitution, come and vote under all circumstances. Just like our freedom fighters fought in the freedom movement without caring for their lives, today again a similar time has come when there is a need to do something for freedom and the Constitution," Yadav said.
Yadav, the SP candidate from Kannauj, further added, "Step out of your house like a 'Samvidhan Senani' and show the power of your vote by casting your vote for your future. Overcome any obstacle that comes your way with the power of unity and come back after casting your vote."
6:30 am: Akhilesh Yadav has entered in the electoral fray to win Kannauj seat back, which he vacated after he became the chief minister in 2012. The seat is presently represented by Pathak, who had defeated SP candidate and Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple Yadav in 2019.
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