Lucknow: Elaborate security arrangements have been made with Central Para Military Forces (CPMF) being deployed in all the polling booths for the crucial sixth phase of elections in 49 seats covering seven districts of Poorvanchal in Uttar Pradesh 4th march.
The polling will start at 0700 hrs and end at 1700 hrs. The seats in this phase are in extremely backward eastern UP. This phase polling will be held in the regions adjoining Indo-Nepal border and bordering districts with north Bihar.
up election
There are 635 candidates in the fray for the sixth phase, of which, 20 per cent have criminal background and 25 per cent are crorepatis. State Chief Electoral Officer(CEO) T Venkentesh told that all arrangements for a smooth conduct of the elections have been completed and the polling personnel have started reaching their respective booths.
He said elaborate security have been made and adequate numbers of Central forces have been deployed. “The Central forces are holding flag marches in the sensitive areas to instill confidence among the voters,” a senior police official claimed here. Around 2 lakh security personnel, including over 700 companies of Central forces, have been deployed in this phase of polling. Security has been stepped up in Mau, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Deoria and Maharajganj districts due to candidature of several criminal background candidates. As the elections would be held in the seats near the Indo- Nepal and Bihar border hence, all the borders with Nepal and Bihar have been sealed.
Electrifying campaigning for the sixth phase of the polls ended last evening. The high-voltage campaign witnessed BJP president Amit Shah holding a roadshow in Gorakhpur and other leaders, including SP president Akhilesh Yadav, Congress vice- president Rahul Gandhi addressing several meetings to wind up their canvassing. This phase will test the political influence of Union minister Kalraj Mishra, who is MP from Deoria, Mahant Adityanath of Gorakhpur and Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, who represents Azamgarh parliamentary constituency.
up election
However Mr Mulayam did not campaign in this phase even refused to go at his own Azamgarh constituency. It will also be a litmus test for Ansari brothers of Mukhtar Ansari in Mau and Ghazipur districts. Prominent candidates in the phase are jailed mafia don Mukhtar Ansari from Mau and his don Abbas from Ghosi seat on BSP ticket, former UP Legislative Council chairman Ganesh Shanker Pandey from Paniyara seat on BSP ticket, former UP Assembly Speaker Sukhdeo Rajbhar from Didarganj seat, former leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly and now BJP candidate Swami Prasad Maurya from Padrauna seat, jailed Amanmani Tripathi, son of murder convict Amarmani Tripathi, contesting from Nautanwa seat. Canvassing in the phase was at its extreme with all parties leaving no stone unturned to woo the voters.
up election
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leading the BJP campaigning, had addressed three meetings at Mau, Maharajganj and Deoria. BSP president Mayawati had addressed several meetings. Similarly, the Samajwadi Party president and Mr Gandhi held joint rally in Gorakhpur, campaigning for their respective candidates. Former Bihar chief minister and RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav too campaigned in the phase in a big way as several constituencies in this phase are adjoining Bihar.
This phase would witness around 1.72-crore electorate, including 77.84-lakh female, who are expected to exercise their franchise in 17,926 polling booths. As per the 2012 elections results in these 49 seats, 27 are won by SP, 9 by BSP, 7 by BJP, 4 by Congress and others 2. The last phase of polling would be held on March 8 in 40 seats and the counting of votes of all the 7 phases would be taken up on March 11. The districts going to the polls in the sixth phase are Maharajganj, Kushinagar, Gorakhpur, Deoria, Azamgarh, Mau and Ballia.