UP polls; Notification for Phase-V issued

Lucknow, Apr 3: The Process for the crucial fifth phase of assembly elections started today, with the notification for 58 seats of central Uttar Pradesh where polling will be held on April 28.

Governor T V Rajeshwar issued the notification for Phase-V and nominations can be submitted till April 10. Scrutiny of papers would be done on the next day while candidates can withdraw their nominations till April 13.

Altogether 1.61 crore voters, including 87.2 lakh male and 74.6 lakh female will, exercise their franchise in 9363 polling stations spread out in 9 districts in the fifth phase. A total of 18,100 Electronic Voting Machines(EVMs) would also be used in the polling.

The phase-V assembly polls in the state gain importance as constituencies of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Lucknow), Congress President Sonia Gandhi(Rae Bareli), Congress MP Rahul Gandhi(Amethi) and trouble-torn areas of Pratapgarh, Banda and Chitrakoot areas are in this phase.

The electioneering for phase-I polls has gained momentum even as the Election Commission has relaxed on the use of Election Photo Identity Card(EPICs) by given 14 other options of photo identity for the voters in the first phase of polls to be held on April 7 in 62 assembly seats.

The poll process for the second phase of polling to be held on April 13 has also been completed with 883 candidates in the fray while in the first phase there are 848 in the contest.

In the third phase candidates can withdraw their nominations till April 4, while for the fourth phase, April 4 is the last date for filing of nominations, scrutiny would be done on the next day. Nomination papers can be withdrawn till April 7.

After the notification for Phase-V today, now election process in 292 seats out of the total 403-member UP assembly has started.

EC had made elaborate security arrangements for free-and-fair polls in the state and Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami is personally monitoring the election process in the Uttar Pradesh.

In 2002 assembly polls, ruling Samajwadi Party had won 14 seats the BJP 16, the BSP 19, the Congress 4, Independents 4 and the Lok Janshakti Party 1 in the 58 seats at stake in the fifth phase.

In order to ensure fair-and-free polls, the EC would deployd 657 companies of central forces in the UP, earmarking each and every polling station as ''sensitive.'' The Commission has already appointed one central observer for each constituency, besides additional observers would be deployed for the ''sensitive'' constituencies.

A phase cordinator has also been appointed by the EC who will monitor the deployment of central forces and hear the complaints of the political parties.

The nine districts going to poll in the fifth phase are: Hardoi, Unnao, Lucknow. Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh, Sultanpur, Banda, Fatehpur and Chitrakoot.

The constituencies are; Beniganj (SC), Pratapgarh, Pandila, Birapur, Ahirori (S C), Patti, Hardoi, Amethi, Bawan(SC), Gauriganj, Pihani, Jagdishpur (SC), Shahabad, Issauli, Bilgram, Sultanpur, Mallawan, Jaisinghpur, Bangarmau, Chanda, Safipur, Kadipur (SC), Unnao, Khaga, Hadha, Kishunpur(SC), Bhagwant Nagar, Haswa, Purwa, Fatehpur, Hasanganj (SC), Jahanabad, Malihabad (SC), Bindki, Mahona, Manikpur (SC), Lucknow East, Karwi, Lucknow West, Baberu, Lucknow Central, Tindwari, Lucknow Cantonment, Banda, Sarojini Nagar, Naraini, Mohanlalganj (SC), Bachhrawan (SC), Tiloi,Rae Bareli, Sataon, Sareni, Dalmau, Salon (SC), Kunda, Bihar (SC), Rampurkhas and Gadwara.

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

The last date for submitting nominations ends on April 12, while the scrutiny of papers would be done 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 where polling is scheduled to be held 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 votes 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