53.31 per cent votes polled till 5 pm in UP 6th phase

Lucknow, Mar 3 : An estimated 53.31 per cent of the 2.15 crore electorate had voted till 5 pm on Thursday in the sixth and penultimate phase of the staggered Uttar Pradesh assembly elections spread across 57 constituencies in 10 districts. According to the Chief Electoral Officer, the maximum of 58.66 per cent votes were polled in Ambedkar Nagar district while Balrampur saw a voter turnout of 48.53 per cent. Among other districts, 51.81 per cent voted in Ballia, 54.24 per cent in Basti, 51.50 per cent in Deoria, 53.89 per cent in Gorakhpur, 55 per cent in Kushinagar, 57.38 per cent in Maharajganj, 51.21 per cent in Sant Kabir Nagar and 49.77 per cent in Siddharth Nagar. According to a report from Kushinagar, people demanding construction of a bridge boycotted polling for two hours at Pipraghat polling station. However polling resumed after the administrative officials gave a written assurance, sources said. AB SHK1815