UP: Polling for 2^nd phase begins

PAST IMPERFECT: The Congress did not fare too well in this region with just six seats in 2002.

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New Delhi: The region of Western Uttar Pradesh goes to the polls on Friday. This second phase covers 10 districts and will seal the fate of 58 seats in ballot boxes.

Eight hundred and eighty one candidates are vying for the votes of over 1.6 crore people.

State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anuj Kumar Bishnoi told news agency UNI that though polling began on a dull note for the second phase, it was under tight security arrangements.

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.

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.

The authorities have already declared Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Saharanpur, Baghpat, Bulandshahr and Aligarh as sensitive and additional security forces have been deployed in these pockets.

Till 1400 hours, IST around 25 per cent of the total 1.64 crore voters exercised their franchise in 15,931 polling booths.

Some of the VIP candidates whose fate will be decided on Friday are the controversial Minister for Minorities Welfare, Haji Yaqub Qureshi.

Qureshi belongs to the UP United Democratic Front and is supported by the Samajwadi Party. He is fighting from Meerut and from Kharkhauda.

Former chief minister Kalyan Singh's son Rajvir Singh is contesting on a BJP ticket from Debai. His daughter-in-law Premlata Devi is also contesting on a BJP ticket from Atrauli.

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Mahendra Singh Tikait's son Rakesh Tikait is contesting from Khatauli for the Bhartiya Kisan Dal which has an alliance with the Congress this time around.

In the year 2002, the Samajwadi Party held eight seats in Western UP, the BSP held 15 seats, the BJP had 10 seats and Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal held 11 seats.

The Congress did not fare too well in this region with just six seats, while others had eight seats.

To ensure free and fair polls during the second phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, a large number of paramilitary forces — including central para-troopers — have been deployed.

SP of Meerut City Ashok Raghav, says, "Voting is going on peacefully. There have been no reports of violence so far. The police have not blocked the traffic anywhere and there has been no disruption in the transportation of essential goods."

In the first phase of polling on April 7, the voter turnout in was 46.29 per cent in the 62 Assembly constituencies. Of the 62 seats, 14 seats were in Central Uttar Pradesh, 33 seats in Western UP and 15 in Bundelkhand.

(With inputs from UNI)