( To be published/broadcast after 1700 hrs today)

Lucknow, Apr 5 (UNI) A rather low key campaigning for the 62 seats phase-I assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh comes to an end this evening with all political parties targetting each other to woO the voters in their favour.

The electioneering which began On a dull note, however picked up in the later stages with prominent leaders of the political parties contesting holding several election meetings in a day braving scrotching heat wave conditions.

Unprecedent security measures for the first phase polling by the Election Commission(EC) is another major activity during the campaign as the central forces are regularly holding 'flag marches' in all the 62 assembly seats spread out in 13 districts to instill confidence among the voters.

The Election Commission is taking no chances, and have deployed 657 companies of central forces in the first phase of polling and have handed over all the polling booths to them. The central forces will also maintain law and order in sensitive areas.

In the first phase, the fate of Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav will be decided from Bharthana, while his brother Shiv Pal Singh is contesting from Jaswantnagar, both in Etawah district.

Former assembly speaker Dhani Ram Verma is the SP candidate from Bidhuna.

Several ministers and sitting MLAs of all the parties are also contesting in the first phase.

The interesting contest will be in Agra district, where rebel SP MP Raj Babbar will try to defeat the SP candidates.

A total of 848 candidates are in the fray in phase I.

By-election for the Bilhaur Lok Sabha seat will also be held along with the first phase. The seat fell vacant following the disqualification of the sitting member involved in the cash for querry scam.

Electioneering in 62 assembly seats-- starting from Kanpur to Agra covering the entire Chambal region of Etawah, Auriya, Etah and some parts of Bundelkhand namely Jhansi, Hamirpur and Orai--- picked up with a dull note in the last week of March.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi embarked upon her electioneering from Jhansi and Etawah along with Rashitriya Janata Dal(RJD) supremo and Railway minister Laloo Prasad Yadav. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has also covered several constitutuencies by holding road shows and small public meetings (Jan Sampark Abhiyan).

The main issues before all the political parties was promises to give a development oriented, corruption free government besides targetting the voters on caste and communal lines.

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