In the first phase of 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Gautam Buddh Nagar on Thursday saw enthusiastic polling with voters thronging polling booths since early morning.

An overall 60.15% voter turnout was recorded in Gautam Buddh Nagar, sources said.

Gautam Buddh Nagar parliamentary constituency comprises five assembly constituencies -- Noida, Dadri, Jewar, Sikandrabad and Khurja.

As per the data, the average voter turnout from Gautam Buddh Nagar was recorded at 62.7 per cent against 60.39 per cent in 2014.

The voting will decide the fate of 13 candidates.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Gautam Buddh Nagar had witnessed a turnout of 60 per cent, which was an improvement on the 2009 figure of 48 per cent, according to the statistics shared by the Election Commission.

The highest voter turnout of 68.4 per cent was recorded from Jewar area while Noida witnessed the lowest with 53.6 per cent.

The polling began at 7 a.m. and a brisk voting was recorded during the initial hours. It gained momentum during the evening with large number of people queuing up at polling booths.

Meanwhile, a few complaints of EVM malfunction and discrepancies in the voter list were reported from the constituency.

In some cases same ESIC number was found on multiple voter ID cards. Many families found their names missing from the voter list.

The Gautam Budh Nagar police booked a man for allegedly posting his pictures on social media purportedly showing the election candidate he was voting for, in violation of the poll guidelines, said a police officer.

The officer added that the man identified as Yug Sisodia, a resident of salarpur, posted a picture on his Facebook profile along with an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) inside a booth.

Earlier in the day, a controversy erupted about food packets being written with 'Namo thali.' These plates were allegedly distributed among police officers on duty outside a polling station in Sector-15. The district administration later clarified that a Namo Food Pvt Ltd has its outlets all over India.

The company is registered with Registrar of companies in Pune and is functioning since 2010.

However, Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer has asked the GB Nagar district administration for its explanation on these food packets.

--IANS

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