Lucknow, May 05: Despite Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's repeated assertions that right to franchise is a sacred right, only 43 per cent of 15.5 lakh electorate today turned out to cast votes in his Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency where he is crossing swords with his friend-turned-foe ram Jethmalani. An estimated 43 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the constituency, District Magistrate and Returning Officer Sanjiv Mittal told reporters here.
The balloting was, however, peaceful with no reports of any untoward incident, he said.
Former state Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati did not exercise her franchise, Mittal said.
On complaints by some people that they were not allowed to vote despite possessing valid identity cards, he said the Election Commission had undertaken several revision exercises before finalising the voters' list.
Bureau Report