Notification for phase III of UP polls on Mar 23

Lucknow, Mar 22: Notification for the third phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections for 57 seats spread over 10 districts will be issued tomorrow by Governor T V Rajeswar.

Nominations for the third phase will commence tomorrow morning and the last date of submitting papers is March 30. The date of scrutiny is April 2, while April 4 is the last day for withdrawing nominations. Polling will be held on April 18.

Chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has filed his nominations from Bharthana seat where polling will be held in the first phase on April 7, is set to contest from Gunnaur seat in Badaun district where elections are due in the third phase.

Other prominent leaders who are expected to contest are deputy speaker of UP assembly and BJP leader Rajesh Agarwal (Barielly) and state urban development minister Mohammad Azam Khan.

In phase III, out of the total 57 seats on stake, the ruling Samajwadi Party has 30 seats, BJP 11, BSP 9, Congress 4 and Independents 3.

Tommorrow is the last date for withdrawal of the nominations for the first phase polling to be held in 62 assembly seats while, nominations will be accepted till March 24 for the second phase of polling in 58 seats.

In the third phase, 1.51 crore voters -- 82.1 lakh males and 69.1 lakh females -- will exercise their franchise in 9,373 polling booths spread out in 57 assembly segements in 10 districts. About 17,000 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will also be used.

The notification for the first phase of elections in 62 assembly seats of 13 districts was issued on March 13 while for the second phase on March 17.

''We have made all arrangements for peaceful conduct of the election process while the returning officers have been duly trained to follow the EC guidelines,'' he said.

With the change of State's Chief Secretary and Director General of Police and several senior officers in the districts, EC has given clear indications that they would ensure free and fair polls.

EC also also appointed special observers-cum-cordinators for each phases who will monitor the deployment of central forces.

The EC had also issued several directives, including strict action against violation of the model code of conduct and misuse of vehicles by the political parties.

This time, the EC has made mandatory for the voters to show their Election Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) during polling and no state police personnel would be on duty inside or around the polling station.

It has allowed only five people, including the candidate inside the Returning Officer (RO) room to file nominations, while only three vehicles would be permitted inside the campus.

More than 650 companies of the Central Para Military Forces (CPMF) would be deployed during the UP polls, along with the PAC and state police.

Meanwhile, most of the political parties have announced their candidates while others have not done so far for the later phases.

The districts going to polls in the third phase are: Bijnour, Jyotiba Phule Nagar, Moradabad, Rampur, Badaun, Barielly, Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Farrukhabad and Shahjahanpur.

The assembly constitutuencies where polling will be held in the third phase are: Seohara, Bareilly City, Dhampur, Nawabganj, Afzalgarh,Bhojipura, Nagina, Kawar, Nazibabad(SC), Baheri,Bijnor, Pilibhit, Chandpur, Barkhera(SC), Kanth, Bisalpur, Amroha,Puranpur, Hasanpur,Powayan(SC),Gangeshwari(SC),Nigohi, Sambhal, Tilhar, Bahjoi,Jalalabad, Chandausi(SC), Dadraul, Kunderki,Shahjahanpur, Moradabad West, Kannauj(SC), Moradabad,Umardha, Moradabad Rural, Chhibramau, Thakurdwara, Kamalganj, Swartanda,Farrukhabad, Rampur, Kaimganj, Bilaspur, Mohammdabad, Shahabad(SC), Bisauli, Gunnaur, Sahaswan, Bilsi(SC),Budaun, Usehat, Binawar, Dataganj, Aonla, Sunha, Faridpur(SC) and Bareilly Cantt.

Poll process for the fourth phase of elections for the 57 assembly seats would start on March 28 and will continue till April 4. The Scrutiny of papers would be done on the next day, while the last date for withdrawing papers is April 7. Polling will be held on April 23. The notification for the fifth phase will be issued on April 3 for 58 assembly seats where polling would be held on April 28.

Last date for submitting the nomination papers will be April 10, while scrutiny of papers would be done on the next day. Nominations can be withdrawn till April 13.

The sixth phase of the election process in the state starts on April 5 for 52 Assembly seats where polling would be held on May 3.

The last date for submitting of the nomination ends on April 12, while the scrutiny of papers would be done on the next day. The candidates can withdraw their papers till April 16.

The seventh and the last phase of elections in 59 Assembly segments of eastern UP will start on April 13 and polling is scheduled on May 8. The candidates can submit their nominations till April 20 and their papers would be scrutinised the next day.

April 23 is the last date for withdrawal of the nominations.

Counting of voters of all the seven phases would be taken up in the morning of May 11 and the entire election process would be completed by May 13.

The tenure of the 14th Assembly expires on May 14.

UNI