Polling for phase one begins on dull note in UP

Lucknow, Apr 7: 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.

The second phase of polling will be held on April 13 followed by Phase-3 on April 18, Phase-4 on April 23, Phase-5 on April 28, Phase-6 on May 3 and Phase-7 on May 8. Counting of votes for all the 403 assembly seats will be taken up on May 11 while the new assembly will constituted by May 13. Former Assembly speaker Dhani Ram Verma is the SP candidate from Bidhuna.

Several Ministers and sitting MLAs of all the parties are also in the fray during the first phase. A total of 839 candidates are in the race. An interesting contest will be in Agra district, where rebel SP MP Raj Babbar will be trying his luck.

Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav, son of Mulayam Singh Yadv and MP from Kannauj also used his voting rights in Saifai.

Polling for the Bilhaur Lok Sabha seat by-election is also being held along with the first phase. The seat fell vacant following the disqualification of the sitting member involved in a cash-for query-scam.

A total of 1.67 crore voters, including 91.4 lakh men and 75.8 lakh women, are expected to exercise their franchise in the Phase I.

There would be 9,300 polling booths, while 18,300 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) would be used in the first phase in 13 districts.

Agra Cantonment has the highest number of 28 candidates, while Mauranipur in Jhansi has the lowest with 4 candidates.

In 2002 assembly polls of the 62 assembly seats in stake, the ruling SP had won 24 seats, the BJP 16, the BSP 14, the Congress 4, the RLD 2 and others 2.

A rather low-key campaigning for phase I came to an end on Thursday evening with all political parties targeting each other to woo voters in their favour.

The electioneering which began on a dull note, however, picked up in the later stages.

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

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

Former deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani and BJP president Rajnath Singh, along with several party leaders, including Mr Venkiah Naidu, Ms Sushma Swaraj and former cricketer and Amritsar MP Navjot Singh Siddhu, spearheaded the campaign for their party candidates.

But an FIR registered by the EC against the BJP and its leaders Rajnath Singh and Lalji Tandon over the controversial CD has to some extent affected the party's morale before the Phase I polls.

The ruling Samajwadi Party election campaign was led by the chief Minister, while party leader Amar Singh was accompanied by Bollywood stars and MPs Jaya Bachchan and Jaya Prada. Erstwhile Congress leader Natwar Singh has also joined the SP during electioneering.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is the lone party, striving to claim power in the state, depending on Ms Mayawati and to some extent on party general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra.

Former prime minister V P Singh, along with rebel SP MP Raj Babbar, are also in the campaign mode for the candidates of Janmorcha.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) N Gopalaswami, along with other two commissioners, had already reviewed the poll preparations for the first phase last month and directed the officials to ensure smooth conduct of the polls. An EC team had visited all the 13 districts to assess the situation regarding deployment of the Central forces.

The districts going to polls in the first phase are: Etawah, Etah, Kanpur, Agra, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Jhansi, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Hatras, Lalitpur, Mahoba and Ayuriya.

The seats for the first phase are: Aryanagar, Madhogarh, Sisamau(SC), Bhogaon, Generalganj, Kishni(SC), Kanpur Cantonment, Karhal, Govind Nagar, Shikohabad, Kalyanpur, Jasrana, Sarsaul, Ghiror, Ghatampur, Mainpuri, Bhognipur(SC), Aliganj, Rajpur, Patiyali, Sarvankhera, Sakeet, Chaubepur, Soron, Bilhaur(SC), Kasganj, Derapur, Etah, Auraiya, Nidhauli Kalan, Ajitmal, Jalesar(SC), Lakhana, Firozabad, Etawah, Bah, Jaswantnagar, Fatehabad, Bharthana, Tundla(SC), Bidhuna, Etmadpur(SC), Hamirpur, Dayalbagh, Maudaha, Agra Cantonment, Rath, Agra East, Charkhari, Agra West(SC), Mahoba, Kheragarh, Mehroni, Fatehpur Sikri, Lalitpur, Jhansi, Babina(SC), Mauranipur(SC), Garautha, Konch(SC), Orai and Kalpi.

UNI