VARANASI: The MLC (graduate) election for Varanasi constituency registered mere 39.33% voter turnout on Monday while 68.83% voting took place for MLC (teachers) constituency.
Counting of votes will be held on Thursday and decide the fate of 22 candidates in the graduate constituency and 12 candidates in the teachers' constituency.
UP ministers Neelkanth Tiwari and Ravindra Jaiswal reached the polling booths in Varanasi to exercise their franchise.
Additional returning officer Ajay Singh said, “Voting for MLC teachers and graduate constituencies took place peacefully from 8am to 5pm amid tight security in all eight districts. By the end of polling, 23,067 voters of total 33,511 had exercised their franchise for teachers’ constituency. For the graduate constituency, only 82,498 out of 2,09,754 voters turned up to cast their votes.”
In Varanasi, 4,945 of 7,511 voters exercised their franchise and polling was 65.84% for teachers’ constituency.
Jaunpur recorded 71.99% polling, followed by 66.37% in Ghazipur while Ballia witnessed 64.14% turnout. Highest polling percentage was 77.35% in Mirzapur, followed by 75.24% in Chandauli, 72.25% in Sonbhadra and 69.49% in Bhadohi.
In contrast, the graduate constituency election saw low turnout and polling remained below 50%in all eight districts.
ARO Ajay Singh informed that Varanasi and Jaunpur had maximum 48,437 and 48,359 voters. Police percentage was 32.44% in Varanasi and 37.11% in Jaunpur, he said.
Highest polling in the graduate constituency was recorded in Mirzapur where 47.25% votes were cast. Chandauli registered 46.31% polling, Sonbhadra 44.83% and Ballia 44%. Ghazipur witnessed 39.29% with 31,661 voters exercising their franchise while at 39.08% Bhadohi saw 9,693 voters casting their votes.
The turnout of voters for MLC graduate constituency remained poor since the beginning and only 12% votes had been cast in all eight districts by 12 noon.