Polling for sixth phase in UP begins

Lucknow, May 3 (UNI) Polling for the sixth phase of elections to 52 Assembly constituencies spread over nine districts of Uttar Pradesh began on a dull note this morning amid unprecedented security cover.

State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anuj Kumar Bishnoi told UNI here that the polling started at 0700 hrs under tight security cover in all the 52 assembly segments.

He said special security arrangements have been made in the Naxal affected Sonebhadra, Chandauli and Mirzapur districts with an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter along with commandos conducting aerial surveillance.

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 those problems at the earliest.

Sources said in the first one hour of polling around 3 per cent of the total 1.63 crore voters have exercised their franchise in 15,508 polling booths so far.

Encouraged by the violence-free polling in Phase-I of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on April 7, Phase-II in 58 seats on April 13 , Phase-III on April 18, Phase IV on April 23 and Phase V on April 28, the EC has further tightened security arrangements for Phase-VI voting.

Bypoll for Mirzapur and Robertsganj Lok Sabha seats will also be held along with the sixth phase polling.

Inter-state borders with Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have been sealed off and flag marches are underway in all the constituencies.

The Commission has identified 16 assembly constituencies as sensitive and chalked out an elaborate plan whereby the electors in all these constituencies would be provided adequate security cover so that voting could take place in a free and fair atmosphere The Central Para Military Forces (CPMF) was being deployed in all the polling booths and sensitive areas to maintain law and order.

Deputy Election Commissioner J P Prakash has been appointed by the EC to keep a constant vigil in the sensitive areas by making rounds in a helicopter while the 52 constituencies has been provided with nine additional central observer to monitor the polling.

Altogether 648 companies of CPMF along with 66,000 state police have been deployed for peaceful polling.

UNI