The State election commission has said  that the voters participation increased by over six percent as compared to the civic elections in 2012.  The commission claimed that the year’s elections of the urban local bodies   were very peaceful and incident free.  With the completion of the third phase of polling the urban local bodies completed on Wednesday.  The counting of votes will be held on December 1.

The State Election commissioner (SEC) SK Agarwal said here on Wednesday that   in 2012 elections the voter’s turnout was only 42 percent which increased to 52.5 percent in elections for the urban local bodies held this year.

About the voter’s turnout in nagar nigam cities, SEC said, lowest turnout of 30 percent was recorded in Allahabad.  listing his achievements SERC said out of total 36,797 polling booths   repoll was ordered only in three polling booths.  He said during this year’s civic elections there was no casualty among the staff deployed for the polling duty. He said in 2012  elections  16 persons  had died while on polling duty and 81 person died on polling duty during the panchyat elections held in 2016.

On the electronic voting machines (EVMs) the SEC said only 503 EVMs had to be replaced due to their malfunctioning. He said  against the standard  two percent replacement rate  as many as seven percent EVMs had to be replaced in UP. The EVMs were used for polling in 16 nagar nigam towns for mayoral elections. In other two urban local bodies—Nagar palika parishad and nagar panchyat elections were held through ballot papers.

SEC said the district administration of lucknow was the worst performer in the elections. `` Maximum number of complaints about the missing names from the electoral rolls was received from lucknow. They had over six months time for the roll revision   yet the results were disgusting. I will summon the officials of luck now district and ask for detailed explanation from them’’, said SK Agarwal.