Election commission announces poll dates for 5 states

The Election Commission today announced the dates and phases of elections for five states—Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa.

In an announcement made by Chief Election Commission of India Nasim Zaidi,

Goa to go to polls on February 4, Punjab also to go to polls on February 4. Assembly elections for 403 seats in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases.

He further added that,

Assembly elections in Uttarakhand to be held on February 15. Manipur will go to polls in two phases on March 4 and March 8. First phase of UP Assembly polls on February 11; Phase II on Feb 15: CEC.

Phase III of UP Assembly polls on Feb 19; Phase IV on Feb 23, Phase V on Feb 27, Phase VI on March 4 and last phase on March 8. Counting for all states going to Assembly polls to be held on March 11. EC examining representation of some political parties on presentation of Union Budget during poll process; will take a view soon.

Deputy Election Commissioner Vijay Kumar Dev has directed the authorities in the western Uttar Pradesh districts to keep strict vigil and surveillance in order to thwart any untoward incident in the upcoming state Assembly polls. While addressing a meeting of senior police and administration officials of the region in Meerut yesterday, Dev asked the authorities in Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Saharanpur, Baghpat, Bulandshahr, Noida and Hapur to share the list with the Election Commission of proclaimed offenders and history-sheeters. The directions were given keeping in view the security and to prevent criminals indulge in any malpractices during the polls.

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Special barriers would be put up at the state borders to check vehicles entering from neighbouring Delhi, Haryana and Uttarakhand. This will include barricading on the Delhi-Dehradun and the Panipat-Khatima highway. Dev also asked the jail authorities in the concerned to provide a list of gangsters lodged in their respective jails. In Muzzaffarnagar district jails, a total of 478 criminals are lodged under the Gangster Act.