In the sixth phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, Ambedkar Nagar recorded 58.68 % voter turnout, which is the most among the 57 constituencies. Overall, 53.31 % voter turnout was reported in these seats. 

Gorakhpur City, from where Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is in the fray, recorded 53.86 % voter turnout, according to the Election Commission of India’s voter turnout app. 

Balrampur registered the lowest voter turnout at 48.41 %.

In the sixth phase of the seven-phase UP elections, on Thursday, voting began at 7 am and continued till 6 pm.

Over 1.5 lakh security personnel have been deployed in this phase covering 57 assembly seats in 10 districts, where 2.1 crore people are eligible to cast their franchises.

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Voting has been held at 13,930 polling stations and 25,319 polling booths under 179 police station areas, the UP police said in a statement.

“Nine assembly constituencies – Gorakhpur City, Bansi, Etawah, Dumariaganj, Ballia Nagar, Phephna Bairia, Sikanderpur and Bansdih – have been kept in the sensitive category,” the police said.

The Samajwadi Party pitted the wife of late Upendra Dutt Shukla, a former BJP leader, against Adityanath in Gorakhpur City. Azad Samaj Party founder Chandrashekhar Azad was also contesting against the chief minister.

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The 10 districts where the elections were held in this phase are Deoria, Basti, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Maharajganj, Sant Kabir Nagar, Siddharthnagar, Balrampur, Ambedkar Nagar and Ballia.

“In the sixth phase, a total of 824 majras and localities have been marked as vulnerable, while 2,962 polling places have been considered as critical,” it added.

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The police said a total of 109 Pink Booths (women booths) have been made to specially motivate women to vote.

Nineteen women inspectors or sub-inspectors besides 259 women constables or head constables have been deployed in these booths.

“All 13,930 polling stations will be covered by the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) for the successful conduct of the polling in the sixth phase, for which 850 companies of CAPF have been received,” the police said.

According to officials, a CAPF company usually has an operational strength of around 70-80 personnel.

The police said of the total strength, 797 CAPF companies have been engaged for booth duty while 44 deployed for law and order duties.

Of the total, six CAPF companies have been deployed for duty at 115 international/inter-state barrier points of UP, it added.