Over 50% polling in UP till 5 pm

Over 50 per cent polling was reported till 5 pm in 14 Lok Sabha constituencies of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, an official said.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Union minister Maneka Gandhi are among the key contestants in the state in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls.

While Ambedkar Nagar Lok Sabha constituency recorded the highest turnout of 55.24 per cent, enthusiasm among voters was least in Phulpur, where 46 per cent exercised their franchise.

The average poll percentage is 50.63 per cent, a state election office spokesperson said.

In total, 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, and a report has been sought from the ...