People cast vote in seven states, average 30 per cent polling till afternoon

An average of over 30 per cent turnout was recorded till Sunday afternoon in 59 seats spread over UP, Haryana, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls amid reports of attack on a BJP candidate in West Bengal and EVM snags.

Elections are being held in 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 10 seats in Haryana, eights constituencies each in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, seven seats in Delhi and four in Jharkhand.

The national capital recorded a turnout of over 34 per cent till 1 pm, poll officials said.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj were among those who cast their vote in Delhi.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia, Union minister and BJP's Chandni Chowk candidate Harsh Vardhan, ex-cricketer and BJP's East Delhi candidate Gautam Gambhir, Congress's New Delhi and Northeast Delhi candidates Ajay Maken and Sheila Dikshit also cast their vote.

Polling started late at some booths while there were reports of EVM malfunctioning in different parts of Delhi.

Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain claimed that voting started 50 minutes late at three polling booths.

In West Bengal, violence was reported in some areas even as voters came out in good numbers to exercise their franchise.

Over 37 per cent of 1,33,69,749 voters exercised their franchise in the first four hours of voting.

"Polling is mostly peaceful except some incidents of disturbances from one or two places in Keshpur. We have sought reports from election officials," a senior official of the state CEO's office told PTI.

There were reports of attack on BJP's Ghatal candidate, former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh, when she tried to enter a polling booth in Keshpur.

Bombs were hurled and stones pelted at her convoy when she tried to visit another booth in Keshpur after receiving complaints of rigging there, police said.

One of her security guards was injured and a vehicle of her convoy was damaged in the stone pelting following which security officers used batons, they said.

It was also alleged that a Trinamool Congress worker was injured in firing by central force personnel accompanying the BJP candidate.

The official said, "So far we have not received reports of any firing. We are looking into it. Our officials in districts have been asked to send details of incidents of attacks on Bharati Ghosh quickly."