Amid sporadic incidents of violence and protest over missing names in electoral rolls, an estimated 53 per cent of the total 94.05 lakh electorate exercised their franchise in the third and last phase of urban local bodies poll in 26 districts of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.

Incidents of violence were reported following heated exchange of arguments over fraudulent voting and names missing from voters’ list. Several persons were detained while FIRs were lodged against candidates for the violation of the model code of conduct.  

Sources in State Election Commission said that the poll percentage could further go up as hundreds of voters were in the queue when polling ended at 5 pm. Re-polling in one booth in Balaganj area of lucknow Nagar Nigam was also held along with the third phase of elections.

Polling percentage till 12 noon was 27 per cent while at 3 pm it crossed the 40 per cent mark.  

In the first phase, polling percentage was 52.59 per cent in 24 districts while in violence-marred second phase, it was 49 per cent in 25 districts.

On Wednesday, polling was held for 4,299 wards in 233 local bodies in which the fate of 28,135 candidates was sealed in EVMs and ballot boxes. While polling for municipal corporations was held through EVMs, others were done through traditional ballot papers. Counting of votes will be held on December 1 and results will be declared by the evening. 

In Barabanki, police beat up polling agents and ransacked temporary camps set up by parties near polling stations. The police action at Pir Batawan polling station disturbed polling and very few voters turned out to cast their votes after the police action.

In Sitapur, independent candidate Sanjeev Gupta lodged an FIR against Samajwadi Party candidate for Sitapur nagar palika parishad chairman's post and former MlA Radheshyam Jaiswal for violation of model code of conduct. 

In Moradabad, three burqa-clad women were detained for attempting to cast vote on fake identities at Thakurdwara polling booth, while voters created a ruckus at RRK Inter College over alleged fraudulent voting. Polling in the district was held up for over an hour at several booths as polling agents and supporters of rival parties came to a head accusing each other of fake voting.

In Etah, BJP and Samajwadi Party supporters clashed in Jalesar area in which BJP MlA Sanjeev Diwakar was injured. The clash took place after SP supporters alleged that BJP workers were distributing cash to voters. 

In Saharanpur, locals staged a protest at several booths after their names were found missing from electoral rolls. They alleged that their names were deliberately deleted by the district administration at the behest of local BJP leaders. At some places, police resorted to lathicharge to disperse violent mob in order to facilitate smooth conduct of polling.

In Baghpat, three youths were arrested for attacking cops at Barot area while in Ferozabad, two women were detained for trying to vote on other people’s names under Jasrana nagar panchayat booth number 7.

In Kannauj, the lok Sabha constituency of Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav, two supporters of an independent candidate were arrested after they clashed with polling personnel in Shastrinagar polling centre of Gursahaiganj area.

In Mahoba, a clash took place at a polling station when an independent candidate attempted to enter the booth forcibly.

In Jhansi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) activists clashed with the police at a booth in lBM School in Nabababad area. AAP leaders alleged that the police snatched voters’ list from their polling agents.

In Jaunpur, two youths were arrested while trying to vote in other persons’ names in Shahganj tehsil ward booth, while in Bulandshahr, an independent candidate for Kakor nagar panchayat was arrested for creating ruckus at a polling booth.