Security beefed up across India for fourth phase of elections

New Delhi/Patna/Oraiya (Uttar Pradesh), May 6 (ANI): Tight security arrangements have been made across the country for the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections to be held on Thursday.

A total of 85 parliamentary constituencies across the states of Bihar, West Bengal, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi will go to polls.

A total of 1,315 candidates, including 119 women, are in the fray in this phase that will witness polling to 85 Lok Sabha seats in eight states and union territories.

Polling for all 25 seats in Rajasthan, 10 in Haryana and seven in Delhi will be completed in one-go.

Prominent among the candidates are BJP President Rajnath Singh contesting from the Ghaziabad Lok Sabha constituency, Congress' Pranab Mukherjee from Jangipura, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav from Mainpuri and RJD chief Lalu Prasad from Saran and Pataliputra.

The other prominent candidates are National Conference's Farooq Abdullah (Srinagar), Congress' Kapil Sibal (Chandni Chowk), Sachin Pilot (Ajmer), Shekar Suman (Patna Saheb), BJP's Shatrugan Sinha (Patna Saheb) and HJC's Bhajan Lal (Hisar).

In Patna, Border Security Personnel (BSF) personnel of staged a flag march on the streets of Pataliputra parliamentary constituency to ensure fair polling.

"We want people to know that we have enough forces and have made proper arrangements for their security so that they fearlessly cast their votes," said R Malgar Giri, Senior Superintendent of Police, Patna.

Voters said that were satisfied with the security arrangement.

"Administration has made good security arrangements to ensure peaceful polling. BSF personnel have been deployed. We also want that there should be peaceful polling," said Mohammad Miraj Akhtar, a resident.

BSF personnel also staged a flag march in Oraiya region of Uttar Pradesh.

The counting of votes will take place on May 16.

The 543-member House will be constituted before June 2. (ANI)