Security stepped up near Indo-Nepal border ahead of second phase of UP polls

Sunauli/Maharajganj, Feb 10 (ANI): With Uttar Pradesh entering the second phase of assembly polls tomorrow, security has been stepped up along the India-Nepal border to avoid any untoward incident.

The India-Nepal border has been turned into a fortress with heavy armed security personnel being deployed in Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj District.

Locals, whether on foot or travelling in motored vehicles, are being stopped for checking at several police pickets in Sunauli. Luggage is also being frisked.

Security officials adhered to strict guidelines issued by the administrative authorities and they frisked men and women alike, in order to prevent any problematic incident.

Meanwhile, Azizullah Khan, a former Indian Air Force official, highlighted the problems faced in the border area.

"The main problem near the India- Nepal border is that of unemployment, people don't have jobs. The prime occupation of the locals is agriculture and farming which is no longer profitable," said Khan, former Indian Air Force sergeant.

"The government decides the Minimum Support Price (MSP), farmers helplessly sells his crop to local traders and middlemen and does not get the right price for his produce," he added.

The inter-state border with Bihar has also been sealed and mobile security forces units have been deployed on the rivers Ganga, Ghaghara and Saryu to check movement of troublemakers during polling.

Polling for the second phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections for 59 seats in 10 Districts would be held tomorrow.

Over 1.92 crore voters are expected to cast their votes in Sant Kabir Nagar, Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Azamgarh, Mau, Ballia and Ghazipur omorrow's polling would decide the fate of many senior leaders, including speaker Sukhdeo Rajbhar, Revenue Minister Phagu Chauhan, state presidents of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), deputy leader of Samajwadi Party (SP) Ambika Chaudhary, 31 MLAs and 24 former ministers.

Congress, ruling BSP and SP have fielded their candidates in all 59 constituencies while BJP has left four seats for its ally Janwadi Party. Maximum 31 are in contest from Gorakhpur Urban seat while minimum 23 candidates are in fray from Saidpur reserved constituency.

The polling would take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. under the cover of the Central security forces.

An impressive 62 to 64 percent voter turnout was recorded on Wednesday registered in the first phase of assembly elections for 55 seats.

The Uttar Pradesh polls are being viewed as an opportunity for major parties to re-establish their foothold in the country's fifth largest and most populous state.

A new 403-member state assembly will be elected in March. The poll results will broadly indicate trends for the 2014 general elections. (ANI)