54% polling till 6 pm in UP

Over 54 per cent polling was reported till 6 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.

"The average polling percentage in this phase in the state was 54.12 per cent this time," state Chief Electoral Officer L Venkateswarlu told reporters here.

While Ambedkar Nagar recorded the highest turnout of 58.78 per cent, enthusiasm among voters was least in Allahabad, where 50.58 per cent exercised their franchise.

According to the Election Commission, the polling percentage in rest of the seats are: 54.56 per cent in Sultanpur, 53.20 per cent in Pratapgarh, 51.38 per cent in Phulpur, 51.41 per cent in Shrawasti, 51.80 per cent in Domariyaganj, 58 per cent in Basti, 53.30 per cent in Sant Kabir Nagar, 55.70 per cent in Lalganj, 56.20 per cent in Azamgarh, 54.80 per cent in Jaunpur, 53.20 per cent in ...