Security stepped up for sixth phase of UP polls

Agra/Aligarh, Feb 27 (ANI): With Uttar Pradesh entering the sixth phase of assembly polls tomorrow, the concerned authorities have stepped up security measures to avoid any untoward incident.

Over 800 companies of central paramilitary forces have been deployed apart from state police personnel for free and fair elections.

At a polling office in Agra, election staff queued outside the assistance booths with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) as they prepared for polling day.

"The security arrangements have been beefed up, the paramilitary forces have been deployed in the required areas, and all other preparations are complete," said Azhiruddin, a poll official.

Similar scenes were witnessed in Aligarh where election officials were seen seeking assistance from technical staff deployed on duty as they geared up to leave for their respective polling stations.

Poll authorities checked EVMs and locked them up in the safety of metallic trunks at the polling stations.

Over two crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise for 68 seats, which is spread over 13 districts of the state including Saharanpur, Meerut, Aligarh, Agra, Bagpath, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr, Muzaffarnagar and Mathura.

Tuesday's phase would decide the fate of youth face of RLD Jayant Chaudhary, Energy Minister Ramveer Upadhyaya, deputy leader of BJP Legislative Party Hukkum Singh and former minister Rajveer Singh, who is also son of former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh.

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

The first, second, third, fourth and fifth phases of polling occurred on February 8, 11, 15, 19, and 23 respectively. new 403-member state assembly will be elected in March. The poll results will broadly indicate trends for the 2014 general elections. (ANI)