Today, the polling for first phase in Uttar Pradesh, the largest state by 200 million populations, for assembly elections has started at 7 AM with tight security.
Over 10 districts polling is holding for 55 seats by 10 million eligible voters. 862 candidates have contested over the elections amongst them 31 are MLAs and 15 former ministers who will try their fate.
The districts where polling will carry on, are Sitapur, Barabanki, Faizabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Gonda, Siddharth Nagar and Basti.
The State chief Minister Mayawati who is a low-caste Dalit icon has competition with the Samajwadi Party. BSP, Congress, SP and the BJP are also in the battle for the 403 assembly seats.
As per source report, 135,000 election booths has been manned for the first phase while 2,123 polling stations have deployed as sensitive and 3,423 booths as hyper sensitive. Setting up violence free polling around more than two lakh jawans, including of state police and central forces for security, more than 83,000 employees, including reserve staff on election duty, 1364 sector magistrates and 187 zonal magistrates to oversee poll process have been deployed.
Polling would be under tight security and safety and to ensure free and fair elections, 890 video cameras and 1776 digital cameras have been installed.
Webcasting would be done from selected 270 polling stations, which would be watched at CEO office, EC and district election office. Sale of liquor in the assembly segments and adjoining area has banned by the govt.
All eyes would be set up on Congress which had secured only three of the 55 seats in 2007 Assembly polls. Beni Prasad Verma and National Commission for Scheduled Caste Chairman P L Punia, both are represent Congress to the polls.
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi has show much interest in assembly elections with covering various constituencies in Bahraich, Gonda, Barabanki, Sitapur, Basti districts during his campaigning and held a series of public meetings.
Moreover, for Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party the situation is of do oe die because both are under the pressure to perform effectively to increase its numbers of seats from 2007 Assembly polls. The result of polling will be lock out on 6 March, the date which decide the future of top most parties.
