20.46% polling in UP till 1100 hrs

Over 20 per cent voters today exercised their franchise in the first four hours of Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh's 14 constituencies spread over similar number of districts.      

"Till 11 AM, 20.46 per cent voters exercised their franchise in 14 parliamentary constituencies. The polling has been peaceful so far," election department officials here said.      

Maximum of 23 per cent polling was registered in Pilibhit where BJP leader Varun Gandhi is locked in an interesting contest with his uncle and Congress nominee V M Singh, who also happens to be the richest candidate with assets of over Rs 600 crore.      

In Rampur where actor-turned politician Jaya Prada Nahata is seeking re-election against BJP's Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Begum Noor Bano of Congress, 19 per cent voters turned out to exercise their franchise in the first four hours.      

Moradabad, from where former Indian cricket team captain Mohd Azahruddin is making his debut in electoral politics, polling started on a slow note but scaled to 21.5 per cent.      

Maneka Gandhi's constituency Aonla registered a polling of 21 per cent in first four hours.      

21.8 per cent voters exercised their franchise so far in Dhaurara from where Union Minister Jitin Prasad is re-seeking election.

Meanwhile, 22.9 per cent polling was registered in Saharanpur, 18.6 per cent in Badaun, 21.2 in Kheri, 21 per cent in Bijnore, 22.5 Nagina and 20 in Amroha, 19 in Sambhal and 22.9 per cent in Shahjahanpur.      

Minimum 17 per cent polling was recorded in Bareilly, from where BJP leader Santosh Gangwar is seeking re-election for a record seventh time.      

An estimated 1.95 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 203 candidates, including 15 females.      

Tight security arrangements had been made for the fifth and final leg of polling in the state as over 1.51 lakh security personnel, including Central Para Military Forces and PAC jawans had been deployed to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections.