Lucknow: There is a marked rise in the number of people voting in the Lok Sabha constituencies reserved for Dalits in Uttar Pradesh.
More and more voters have exercised their franchise in the five phases of polling in the state this time. The record is no different in the reserved constituencies.
Uttar Pradesh is to vote in six phases to pick 80 Lok Sabha MPs, the last round being due Monday. The five phases so far accounted for 13 of the 17 total reserved seats in the sprawling state.
In 2009, only two reserved constituencies - Nagina and Barabanki - polled more than 50 percent votes.
In 2014, the lowest voting figure in these constituencies is 52 percent (Jalaun). The average voting in the 13 reserved constituencies that have so far gone to the polls is 56.8 percent.