Polling for the third phase in UP begins

Lucknow, Apr 18: Polling in the third phase of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh began on a dull note this morning, across 57 constituencies spread over 10 districts, under an unprecedented security cover.

State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anuj Kumar Bishnoi told sources that polling started at 0700 hours amid tight security arrangements in all the 57 assembly segments.

Sources said in the first one hour of polling about four per cent of the total 1.51 crore voters had exercised their franchise at 14884 polling booths.

According to EC sources, preliminary teething trouble were reported from several places due to non-functioning of the Electronic Voting Machines(EVMs) but efforts were underway to rectify them at the earliest.

Encouraged by the violence-free polling in Phase-I on April 7 and Phase-II on April 13, the EC has further tightened security arrangements for polling in the third phase in communally sensitive Moradabad, Rampur and Bijnor districts of the state.

Security forces are conducting flag march while the international border with Nepal in Pilibhit and inter-state borders have been sealed.

Central Para Military Forces have been deployed at all polling booths and sensitive areas to ensure free and fair polling.

Deputy Election Commissioner J P Prakash is keeping a constant vigil in the sensitive areas through a helicopter while each of the 57 constituencies has been provided with one additional central observer to monitor the polling.

More than 660 companies of central para military forces, along with 60,000 state police have been deployed for polling in this phase which include several communally sensitive districts like Amroha, Moradabad, Rampur, Bijnor, Sambhal and Bareilly.

Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav(Gunnaur), deputy speaker of the state legislative assembly Rajesh Agarwal of BJP (Bareilly city), state Urban Development minister Mohammad Azam Khan (Rampur) are among the 861 candidates whose fate will be sealed in the Electronic Voting Machines(EVMs) today.

UNI