Security tightned for Phase II elections in UP

Lucknow, Apr 12: Encouraged by the violence-free polling in Phase-I of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on April 7, the Election Commission has further tightened security arrangements for tomorrow's Phase-II voting for 58 assembly seats covering 10 communally sensitive districts of the state.

Security forces are conducting flag march while the inter-state borders with Delhi, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh have been sealed.

The Central Para Military Forces (CPMF) were being deployed in all the polling booths and sensitive areas to maintain law and order.

Two Deputy Election Commissioners have been appointed by the EC to keep a constant vigil in the sensitive areas by making rounds in helicopters.

Two helicopters would be used on the polling day to monitor the polling process. Deputy Election Commissioner J P Prakash have been given a helicopter to monitor the polling in all the 10 districts.

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 Singh's son Rajveer and daughter-in-law Premlata are also trying their luck for a second time from Dibai and Atrauli seats respectively.

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

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

Meanwhile, state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anuj Kumar Bishnoi said here today that all preparation for smooth conduct of the polling tomorrow has been completed.

''Polling personnel have started reaching their respective booths while CPMF have taken the charge of the polling stations'', he said.

State Principal Secretary (Home) K Chandramauli said 663 companies of CPMF have been deployed for phase II of assembly elections in state.

Ghaziabad district, bordering Delhi, has been provided with a maximum of 91 companies, while Gautam Buddha Nagar has been provided with the least number of 31 companies. Mathura has been given 51 companies, while Hathras has been provided with 40 companies for election duties. Aligarh, Bulandshahr, Meerut, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar and Saharanpur have been provided with 86, 84, 78, 34, 90 and 75 companies of CPMF respectively.

On the directives of the EC, the state government has also deployed five IGs and as many DIGs for poll duties in the 10 districts.

In the first phase, 46.29 per cent polling was recorded which made the EC direct officials ignore minor lapses.

UNI