Polling begins on dull note in UP

Lucknow, Apr 7 (UNI) Polling for the phase-one assembly election in Uttar Pradesh began on a dull note this morning amid unprecedented security arrangements in 62 assembly constituencies spread out in 13 districts.

State chief electoral officer(CEO) Anuj Kumar Bishnoi told UNI here that the polling started at 0700 hours under tight security cover in all the 62 assembly segements.

According to EC sources, snags were reported in several places but efforts were underway to fix the EVMs at the earliest.

Sources said in the first one hour of polling around 2 per cent of the total 1.67 crore voters have exercised their franchise in about 9,300 polling stations so far.

Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, contesting from Bharthana, is expected to cast his vote in Saifai in Etawah district. However, his younger brother and state PWD minister Shivpal Singh along with SP MP Dharmendra Yadav have exercised their franchise in Safai. Shivpal is contesting from Jaswantnagar seat in the district.

Meanwhile, for the first time EC has deputed a deputy election commissioner J P Prakash to monitor the polling on a helicopter while more than 200 central observers will keep a close watch on the polling process.

To ensure a free and fair polls, all the inter-state borders have been sealed, while heavy checking of vehicles and frisking was underway in all the assembly segments.

Central forces, who have been asked to ensure free-and-fair elections, are holding a 'flag march' in all the assembly seats to instill confidence among the voters. Besides, about 60 companies of PAC, along with more than 10,000 state police and 25,000 Home Guards, will be deployed for poll duties.

The Election Commission is taking no chances, and has deployed 657 companies of the Central forces in the first phase of polling.

The Central forces will also maintain law and order at sensitive areas.

The EC has also rushed 24 additional Central observers to keep a close watch on the polling, two of them specially for the Bharthana seat where the Chief Minister is one of the contestants.

State Principal Secretary (Home) K Chandramauli said instructions had been issued to police authorities to deal strictly with anti-social elements and people trying to rig the polls. In the first phase, the fate of the Chief Minister and his brother Shiv Pal Singh will be decided from Bharthana and Jaswantnagar respectively, both in Etawah district.

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