Cracking its whip to ensure violence-free Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, the Election Commission on Thursday asked the state government to furnish a complete list of persons against whom criminal cases are pending.
In a communication to the chief secretary, the EC directed the authorities to provide district-wise list of persons against whom criminal cases were pending and those who have been provided security cover, EC sources said.
The commission also asked him to provide by March 13 a separate district-wise list of persons who have been given security cover by the state after the announcement of poll schedule.
The EC had barred appointment of members of Parliament, legislators and others who have been provided with security cover as polling and counting agents of candidates in the Assembly polls in the state.
There was a tendency on the part of some candidates to appoint a sitting minister, MP or MLA as their polling and counting agent, it said observing that Representation of Peoples Act prohibited security personnel moving around the polling stations.
Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamy will conduct a review in Kanpur on February 10 on poll preparedness in those consituencies going to polls in the first phase on April 7.
Sixty-two Assembly seats will go to polls in the first phase for which notification would be issued on March 13.