43% polling in UP till 3 pm

Over 43 per cent polling was reported till 3 pm in 14 Lok Sabha constituencies of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, where Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Union minister Maneka Gandhi are among the key contestants.

While Ambedkar Nagar Lok Sabha constituency recorded the highest turnout of 47.60 per cent, enthusiasm among voters was the least in Phulpur, where 36.80 per cent cast their ballots.

A state election office spokesperson said the average poll percentage was 43.35 per cent.

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

In Sultanpur, BJP leader Maneka Gandhi and BSP candidate Chandra Bhadra Singh had a face-off. Gandhi warned him that hooliganism wouldn't work, but Singh dismissed her charge.

"In Azamgarh, a presiding officer was removed following complaints by SP workers, A report has been sought from the district magistrate," state Chief Electoral Officer L Venkateshwar Lu ...