Around 28.02 % of the total 2.50 crore voters have used their franchise in 13 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh where polling for the seventh and last phase were underway on Saturday.

The polling was peaceful and no untoward incident has been reported from any where, ECI official here said.

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The polling started at a brisk note from 7AM as voters mostly senior citizens, women and first time voters queued up at the booths well before the polling started.

However malfunctioning of EVMs have dampened the enthusiasm of the voters leading to delay in the start of polling in around 50 booths.

Heatwave conditions in the region have also affected the voting even 9though the ECI has made all arrangements to provide all facilities to the voters and polling personnel.

At 9 AM , the average polling percentage was 12.94 percent which rose to 28.02 % at 11AM.

In Dudhi assembly bypolls in Sonbhadra district, the polling percentage till 11AM was 25.60.

In Varanasi , the voter turn out was below average. At 9 AM it was 12.66% and at 11AM it was just 26.13 %. Heatwave conditions were said to be the reason behind the slow voting.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath voted kn Gorakhpur along with Himachal Pradesh governor Shiv Pratap Shukla .

In Varanasi , Sikkim governor Laxman Acharya used his franchise. In the last phase of polling, 144 candidates along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi, 3 Unions ministers: Anupriya Patel ( Mirzapur), Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey ( Chandauli)and Pankaj Choudhury ( Maharajganj) fate will be decided.

Besides , Chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s political acumen would be tested on his home turf Gorakhpur, which he won 5 times. Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishan Shukla is trying his luck for the second time.

All eyes will also be on the performance of UP Congress president Ajay Rai, who is pitted against PM in Varanasi. Ghazipur seat is also important to see which way it will go in the absence of mafia Mukhtar Ansari.

In this phase in 2019 , BJP had won 9 seats while its ally Apna Dal ( Sonelal) had won Mirzapur and Sonbhadra seats. In the opposition, BSP , which had alliance with SP, had won Ghazipur and Ghosi seats.

However , soaring temperature crossing 45 degrees in Purvanchal, has hit the campaigning and now it could have an impact in the polling percentage.

The 13 Lok Sabha constituencies of this phase include Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Bansgaon (SC), Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur, and Robertsganj (SC), which are located in 11 districts.