Authorities gear up for fourth phase of UP polls

Fatehpur, Feb 18 (ANI): Adequate security arrangements are being made to ensure free and fair polling during the fourth phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh. Poll officials said they have also checked electronic voting machines ahead of the elections.

Poll official Ashish Kumar told reporters here on Saturday that all possible steps are being taken to ensure that polls are held peacefully.

"The poll preparation is fine and everything is done systematically and the polls would be conducted in a smooth manner. Everything has been checked, the EV (electronic voting) machine and control units and other things are checked," said Kumar.

Polling will take place in eleven districts, including, Hardoi, Unnao, Lucknow, Rae Bareli, Farukkhabad, Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar, Kannauj, Banda, Chitrakoot, Fatehpur and Pratapgarh and would cover 56 seats.

Over 10 million voters are expected to exercise their franchise February 19.

Polling officials were seen examining Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to ensure no technical snag develops during elections.

Additional Superintendent of Police of Fatehpur Nitin Pandey assured that adequate security has been deployed to avoid any untoward incident.

"Adequate security arrangement has been made. Most of the polling booths fall under the CPMF (Central Paramilitary Force). Cluster mobiles and sector mobiles have been placed. Zonal police officials have been deployed. The police officials have been positioned at respective places. There would be no untoward incident and we would ensure that the elections are held peacefully," said Pandey.

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

In the fray are the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP), along with several other independent candidates and regional factions.

Polling to 403 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh is being held in seven phases.

The first, second and third phases of polling occurred in the state on February 8, February 11 and February 15, respectively.

The results will be announced on March 6. (ANI)