An estimated 54.02 % of 2.70 crore voters have used their franchise in the sixth phase of polling in 14 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday , amid severe heat wave conditions.

This could be the lowest polling percentage in this elections in UP as in earlier phases the voting was recorded between 58 % to 60%.

Except of reports of minor brawls between supporters of BJP and INDI alliance in Azamgarh, Basti, Machlishahar, Phulpur and Ambedkarnagar, the polling was peaceful.

In the early hours , reports also poured in over malfunctioning of EVMs which led to delay in starting the polling in several booths .

Voters reached the polling station hours before the voting started at 7AM to avoid the heat wave. But the polling turned dull as the sun rose.

A voter aged 65 died due to heat stroke in Shravasti , while a booth officer was admitted to the hospital in Basti.

ECI officials here said that the voting was 52.02 % at 5PM and in next one hour it reached to just to 54.02 %.

A total of 162 candidates fate were sealed in the EVMs in the sixth phase polls in the state.

Maneka Gandhi from Sultanpur, Bhojpuri actor and BJP candidate Dinesh Lal Yadav Nirahua and SP candidate Dharmendra Yadav from Azamgarh, TMC candidate Laliteshpati Tripathi from Bhadoi and Congress candidate Ujjwal Raman Singh from Allahabad Lok Sabha seat were the prominent candidates in the fray in this phase .

Along with 14 Lok Sabha seat, EC also held by-election of Gansadi assembly segment in Balrampur district. The polling percentage till 6PM was 51.10% in the assembly by-election.

State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa said here on Saturday that polling was completed in a peaceful note.

CEO said based on the information received from the districts till 6 pm, the total average voting in 14 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state was 54.02 percent, in which 55.50 % in Sultanpur, 51.60% in Pratapgarh, 51.75% in Phulpur, 61.54% in Ambedkarnagar, 52.76% in Shravasti, 51.94% in Dumariyaganj, 56.6% in Basti, 52.63% in Santakbirnagar, 54.14% in Lalganj (SC), 56.07% in Azamgarh, 55.52% in Jaunpur, 54.43 % in Machhlishahar (SC) and 53.07% in Bhadohi.

According to ECI , voting in UP in 14 Lok Sabha seats was 12.33% till 9AM and rose to 27.06 % at 11AM, 37.23% at 1PM, 43.95% at 3PM , 52.02 % at 5PM agd 54.02 at 6 PM.

Rinwa said EVMs and VVPATs required for voting were arranged for all 28,171 polling stations (polling booths) in the elections and adequate quantity of reserve EVMs and VVPATs were arranged in different districts and wherever complaints were received during the voting, the same were implemented with immediate effect. According to the information received from the districts, a total of 191 BUs, 251 CUs and 291 VVPATs were changed during the mock poll and after the start of voting till 06:00 pm, a total of 72 BUs, 62 CUs and 215 VVPATs were changed.

CEO said live webcasting had been done at more than 50 percent polling places (14,480 polling places), which were supervised at all three levels by District Election Officer, Chief Electoral Officer and Election Commission of India. Apart from the above, arrangements for videography have also been made at 5,057 polling places.

In the sixth phase, a total of 293 model polling stations and 86 women, 52 disabled and 63 youth personnel managed polling stations had been created.