Slow start to polling in Uttar Pradesh

Voting was yet to pick up in the first two hours of polling Sunday in 14 Lok Sabha constituencies of eastern UP where SP President Akhilesh Yadav and Union minister Maneka Gandhi are among key contestants.

The average poll percentage was 9.28 per cent, a state election office spokesperson said.

While Basti parliamentary constituency recorded the highest turnout of 11.40 per cent, enthusiasm among voters was the least in Domariyaganj, where 7.60 per cent of eligible voters cast their ballots till 9 am.

Altogether, 177 candidates are contesting in these 14 constituencies, where 2.53 crore people are eligible to vote at 16,998 polling centres.

Polling was underway in Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Phulpur, Allahabad, Ambedkararnagar, Shrawasti, Domariyaganj, Basti, Sant Kabirnagar, Lalganj, Jaunpur, Machchlishahr, Bhadohi and Azamgarh constituencies in Purvanchal region of the state.

The Bharatiya Janata Party had won 13 of these 14 constituencies in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. The only ...