Polling for phase II of elections in UP begins

Lucknow, Apr 13 (UNI) Polling began on a dull note this morning for the second phase of elections in the 58 constituencies spread over 10 districts of western Uttar Pradesh, under tight security arrangements.

State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anuj Kumar Bishnoi told UNI the polling started at 0700 hours under tight security cover in all the 58 assembly segements.

According to EC sources, preliminary teething problems were reported from several places due to non functioning Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) but efforts were being made to rectify the errors at the earliest.

In the first one hour of polling around 3 per cent of the total 1.64 crore voters exercised their franchise in 15931 polling booths, they said.

Encouraged by the violence-free polling in Phase-I on April 7, the EC has further tightened security arrangements for Phase-II voting in 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 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.

About 100 Central observers and another 100 micro observers would monitor the polling process in all the constituencies.

The authorities have already declared Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Saharanpur, Baghpat, Bulandshahr and Aligarh as sensitive and additional security forces have been deployed in these pockets. Altogether 29 assembly segements in phase-II have been declared sensitive.

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