Elaborate security arrangements have been made for Tuesday's crucial seventh and last phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections to 59 constituencies spread over nine districts.
Inter-state borders with Bihar and Jharkhand, and international borders with Nepal were sealed on Sunday evening for security reasons.
Central paramilitary forces were conducting 'flag march' in all the sensitive districts, while security forces have started reaching polling booths. State Chief Electoral Officer Anuj Kumar Bishnoi said in Lucknow that all preparations for smooth conduct of polling had been completed.
Altogether 637 companies of Central forces along with 73 companies of PAC besides 10,000-strong state police will be deployed for free and fair polling.
Prominent candidates, whose fate will be decided in Phase-VII polling are former UP chief minister and Congress candidate Ram Naresh Yadav (Phulpur), state ministers and Samajwadi Party candidates Ambikar Choudhury (Copachit), Ram Govind Chouhdury (Bansdih), Narad Rai (Balia), Kameshwar Upadhaya, criminal-turned-politician Harishanker Tiwari (Chilupar), Amarmani Tripathi (Laxmipur), Mukhtar Ansari (Mau), Bahujan Samaj Party senior leader and candidate Lalji Verma (Tanda) and rebel SP lawmaker Beni Prasad Verma (Ayodhya).
Counting of votes will take place on May 11 and the new assembly is to be constituted before May 13 when the term of the present assembly expires.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has deployed eight special observers in five districts, out of the total nine, where the last phase of assembly polls is scheduled on May 8.
Of the total eight special observers, three will be deployed in Deoria district alone. The EC has also identified five sensitive constituencies where one special observer will be deployed.
Deputy Election Commissioner J P Prakash will monitor the polling process on Tuesday using a helicopter.
Altogether 1.78 crore voters, including 96.3 lakh males, 81.8 lakh females, are eligible to vote in this phase in over 16,000
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