In Uttar Pradesh all preparations for voting for second phase of assembly elections have been completed.Polling parties will be rushing towards their respective polling booths today while security forces have already reached and have conducted flag march in several areas.
A total of 1098 candidates including 76 women are in fray from 59 constituencies including 12 reserved spread over 9 districts of eastern region of the state. Campaigning for this phase of elections was ended yesterday. Polling will be held on February 11.
AIR Lucknow correspondent reports that more than 20,000 polling centers have been set up for more than 1 crore 94 lakhs electorates including 87 lakhs 50 thousand female to cast their votes in this phase.
Congress, ruling BSP and Samajwadi Party have fielded their candidates in all 59 constituencies while BJP has left four seats for its ally Janwadi Party. Maximum 31 are in contest from Gorakhpur Urban seat while minimum 23 candidates are in fray from Saidpur reserved constituency.
The polling would take place from 0700 hrs to 1700 hrs under the cover of the Central security forces.
The international borders with Nepal and inter-state with Bihar have been sealed and mobile units of security forces are deployed at rivers of Ganga, Ghaghara and Saryu to check the movements of trouble makers during polling.
The Election Commission has taken several steps to increase voter’s participation in voting including distribution of voters slip and setting up help desks at polling booths. An independent mobile phone numbers is in operation to respond the SMS of voters about their polling booths.
Details of polling booths are also available on the website of Chief Electoral Officer of the state. The districts going to polls in the second phase are Sant Kabir Nagar, Maharajganj, Gorakhpur , Kushinagar, Deoria, Azamgarh, Mau, Ballia and Ghazipur.
The prominent candidates whose fate would be decided in this phase include ruling BSP state president and UP Minister Swami Prasad Maurya, BJP state president Surya Pratap Sahi, Assembly Speaker and BSP candidate Sukhdeo Rajbhar, former BJP state president Ramapati Ram Tripathi, SP leaders Ambika Chaudhary, Peace Party president Dr Ayub and mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari.
34 sitting MLAs are also contesting in this phase. 19 new seats have been made in the second phase by delimitation of 22 seats.
Meanwhile the Election Commission has served a notice to ruling Bahujan Samaj party national general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra for violating election model code of conduct during an election meeting at Chandauli on February 5. The Commission has sought his reply by February 12. It has been alleged by the Commission that Mr. Mishra had openly appealed to the voters arousing caste feeling.
Scrutiny for the papers filed for phase six elections will be taking place today. Altogether 1,473 candidates have filed their nomination papers in 68 constituencies. Polling will be held in this phase on February 28.
As many as 256 candidates have filed their nominations for seven and last phase of elections till now. February 13 is the last date for filing of the papers.
