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UP bypolls: Elaborate and high security arrangements for assembly elections

Lucknow: Unprecedented security arrangements have been made for tomorrow's by-election to one Lok Sabha and 11 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh.For the first time in UP, such a large number of security forces have been drawn from outside the state, including 40 companies of armed forces from West Bengal and Haryana. Besides, 19 companies of CRPF would also be deployed in the polling process.

State Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Brijlal said here today all arrangements for free and fair elections have been completed.The state government has deployed 40 companies of PAC along with around 50,000 district police and homeguards. UP Chief Electoral officer (CEO) Umesh Sinha said all arrangements for free and fair polls have been completed and the polling parties were being despatched to their polling booths.

Altogether 177 candidates, including 12 women, are in the fray for the by-election. A total of 49 lakh voters would use their franchies at 5,613 polling booths to elect their representatives.Mr Sinha said 2,300 micro observers have been deployed to oversee the polling process, while 2,200 digital cameras and 700 videocamara would be used to record the polling at all booths. The EC has identified 1,900 booths as critical and special security arrangements are being made at these booths.

In Ferozabad, the Election Commission has deployed five central observers to oversee the election process.Altogether 700 sector magistrate and 90 zonal magistrate were also engaged to maintain law and order during the polling. The 11 Assembly seats going to polls are: Poawayan(SC), Lucknow (West), Isauli, Hainsar Bazar, Padrauna, Kolasala, Rari, Etawah, Barthana, Lalitpur and Jhansi. Ferozabad is the lone Lok Sabha seat.

The voting would be held from 0800 hrs to 1700 hrs on tomorrow while counting of votes would be taken up on November 10.Of the 11 Assembly seats, 10 were vacated after resignation of the sitting members, while in Lalitpur, the bypoll is necessitated as the sitting member of BSP died.The Padrauna seat was vacated by Union minister of State for Surface Transport R P N Singh after he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kushinagar. His mother Mohini Singh is contesting in the bypolls.