Punjab and Uttarakhand set for assembly polls on Monday

Bhatinda/Amristar, Jan 29 (ANI): Election officials in poll-bound Punjab state on Sunday initiated the final process of elections to 117 seats in the state tomorrow.

Election commission has laid down strict guidelines this year .The polling related material has been handed over to the security forces. In sensitive Bhatinda District where election officials under special facility handed over all the polling related material to the paramilitary forces.

"We have deployed paramilitary force, videographers, micro-observers who will monitor the polling booths and would ensure whether the election process is taking place in the appropriate manner. Police officers have been provided with all the subsequent material required in the polling process. We assure the people that elections would be conducted peacefully," said Deputy Commissioner, Bhatinda District, Kamal Kishore Yadav.

Similar arrangements were made in Amritsar where election officials handed over voting machines and ballot boxes to their officers and directed them to reach their stations on time.

Meanwhile in Uttarakhand election campaign came to an end last evening.

A total of 788 candidates are tcontesting in 70 constituencies in the state where over 63 lakh electorates are expected to exercise their franchise on Monday.

The weather, which had played a spoilsport most of the time during electioneering, has changed for the better now.

The Election Commission has taken special care to assist the high altitude poll parties, which have already left for the hilly regions.

Sleeping bags, snow boots, jackets and other necessary equipments have been provided to these polling parties.

In addition, two choppers have been put on alert to launch rescue operations in case of any emergency.

The forest officials, BRO and PWD personnel were working continuously to ensure that all roads and pathways were cleared of snow in these places to facilitate voters to reach to the polling booths.

75 companies of paramilitary forces, 6000 Home Guards from Uttar Pradesh and 2000 from Himachal Pradesh and 10,000 personnel of the state police have been deployed to ensure free and fair polls.

The ensuing polls are being viewed as an opportunity for India's major parties to re-establish or strengthen their footholds in the country's five major states.

Punjab and Uttarakhand, along with Uttar Pradesh and Goa would undergo assembly polls between January 30 and March 3 and the results would be declared on March 6. (ANI)