 "UP Elections 2017: 12% votes cast in 2 hours in final phase")
Impressive voter turn out has been recorded in the first two hours of polling in all the 40 seats in the seventh and final phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections on Wednesday.
Approximately 12 per cent of the over 1.41 crore voters came out early to cast their votes as polling began at 7 a.m.
Maximum voting was reported from Bhadohi, the carpet exporting hub where 16 per cent voters cast their votes till 9 a.m., a poll official said.
In Sonbhadra, which is also a naxalite infested area 15 per cent polling was seen in the same time; followed by 13 per cent in Mirzapur, 12 per cent in Varanasi -- the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
While Jaunpur and Ghazipur recorded 10.5 per cent, followed by eight per cent in Chandauli. ALSO READ: LIVE UP elections 2017: 22 per cent voting till 11 am, eyes set on Varanasi
A total of 535 candidates, including 51 women, are in fray for these assembly seats spread across seven districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh, known as Poorvanchal.
More From This Section
Nearly one and a half crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the final phase of the assembly elections, including 76.87 lakh men and 64.99 lakh women. A total of 706 voters are of the third gender.
As many as 8,682 polling stations with 14,458 polling booths have been set up.
Polling will continue till 5 p.m. in 37 constituencies, whereas in Robertsganj, Duddhi in Sonbhadra district and Chakia segment in Chandauli will end by 4 p.m., an Election Commission official said.