( Embargoed for publication/ broadcast after 1700 hrs today)

Lucknow, Apr 11 (UNI) Campaigning for the Phase-II assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh on April 13, covering 58 constituencies and spread over 10 districts, ended this evening.

Polling will be held from 0700 hrs to 1700 hrs.

Electioneering in the phase started on a dull note, but picked up towards the end with political parties targeting the minority votebank.

With phase II constituencies being communally-sensitive, the Election Commission has made unprecendented security arrangements with central forces conducting flag marches. The inter-state borders will also be sealed off.

Two deputy election commissioners have been appointed by the EC to keep a constant vigil in sensitive areas by making rounds in helicopters.

Two helicopters are expected to be used on the polling day by the EC to monitor the polling process.

The authorities have already declared Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Saharanpur, Baghpat, Bulandshahr and Aligarh as sensitive and additional security forces have been deployed in these pockets.

In this phase, the prestige of Rashtriya Lok Dal supremo Ajit Singh and BJP's chief ministerial candidate Kalyan Singh would be at stake. Kalyan's son Rajveer and daughter-in-law Premlata are trying their luck for a second time from Dibai and Atrauli seats respectively.

The RLD, which had won 11 seats of the phase in the 2002 polls, is contesting all the segments. Mr Kalyan Singh had contested the 2002 polls under a separate Rashtriya Kranti Party(RKP) banner and had won 3 seats in this phase.

Rebel Samajwadi Party minister Haji Yakoob is contesting as a United Democratic Front(UDF) candididate from two seats -- Meerut and Kharkhauda. Yakoob is also known for his controversial bounty announcement of Rs 51 crore on a Danish cartoonist for lampooning the Prophet Mohammed through cartoons.

Campaigning for the phase was spearheaded by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul, while the BJP's team was led by party president Rajnath Singh, former deputy PM L K Advani and other senior leaders.

UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, his close aide Amar Singh along with cinestars and MPs Jaya Bachchan and Jaya Prada campaigned for the ruling Samajwadi Party, while Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP) supremo Mayawati and her deputy Satish Chandra Mishra canvassed for their candidates.

While Muslims constitute a major chunk of the votebank in this phase, the BJP is trying to hardsell its Hindutva agenda.

The EC has given 15 optional Photo Identity in place of Election Photo Identity Cards(EPICs) and directed to ignore small lapses in EPICs.

In the first phase of elections in 62 assembly seats on April 7 last, polling was a mere 46.29 per cent which made the EC direct officials ignore minor lapses.

MORE UNI