Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls: 5th phase polling for 61 seats today

As many as 61 assembly seats will go to vote across 12 districts of Uttar Pradesh, sealing the fate of 692 candidates in the fray today.

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New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh will undergo the fifth phase of polling today (February 27). As many as 61 assembly seats comprising of 2.24 crore electors will go to vote across 12 districts of UP, sealing the fate of 692 candidates in the fray. 

Polling will begin at 7 am and continue till 6 pm in the districts of Sultanpur, Chitrakoot, Pratapgarh, Kaushambi, Prayagraj, Barabanki, Bahraich, Shravasti, Gonda, Amethi and Raebareli. 

Key candidates in the 5th phase

Keshav Prasad Maurya

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who is contesting from the Sirathu assembly seat in Kaushambi district, will battle against Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) candidate Pallavi Patel.

Raghuraj Pratap Singh

Jansatta Dal leader Raghuraj Pratap Singh, also known as Raja Bhaiya, the MLA from Kunda since 1993, will face his old aide Gulshan Yadav fielded by Samajwadi Party. 

Krishna Patel

Union minister Anupriya Patel's mother and Apna Dal (K) leader Krishna Patel has been fielded from the Pratapgarh seat. Apna Dal (K) has tied-up with the Samajwadi Party. Interestingly, Anupriya Patel, heading a rival faction of the party named after her father Sonelal Patel, has handed over the seat to the BJP to challenge her mother Krishna Patel.

Aradhana Mishra Mona

Congress legislative party leader Aradhana Mishra Mona has been given a ticket from Rampur Khas seat of Pratapgarh.

Ministers in the fray

Besides deputy CM, other ministers whose fate will be decided are Siddharth Nath Singh contesting from Allahabad West, Rajendra Singh, alias Moti Singh, from Patti (Pratapgarh), Nand Gopal Gupta Nadi from Allahabad South and Ramapati Shastri from Mankapur (Gonda).

As the fifth phase polling will end on on Sunday, Uttar Pradesh will have voted on 292 of the total 403 Assembly seats. The last two phases of the elections will be held on March 3 and March 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. 

(With agency inputs)