'Expect UP assembly polls from mid-February'

According to sources, the Election Commission has a tentative schedule to hold the Uttar Pradesh elections from February 16 or 17. The polling will be completed in six phases by around March 6, and the counting would be done along with all other states on March 10. Other states, including Punjab, will have one-day polls.

The Election Commission is understood to have asked the UP Board of Secondary Education to postpone its examinations from March 1 to anytime after March 15 to facilitate the assembly elections in the state in February-March.

"We are waiting for the board's response before taking a final decision," EC sources said on Monday. It is gearing up to announce the elections latest by Friday, to bring into force the model code of conduct for parties and government.

The idea is to club the UP elections with other four assembly elections in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur instead of holding separate elections. 

Notwithstanding Chief Minister Mayawati playing all tricks to prevent early polls, sources said the EC is well within its powers to hold them anytime within six months of the tenure of the House that ends on June 14, in case of Uttar Pradesh.

Except for UP, other states have agreed for the elections in February and hence, the EC is trying to get the school examinations in UP postponed to get the services of the teachers for the poll duties.

Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi is personally handling the Uttar Pradesh imbroglio. When asked, two other election commissioners and the deputy election commissioners refused to comment on the UP polls.