The Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, scheduled to be held in seven phases by the Election Commission of India, will set a new record of being the longest poll in any state in the country so far. The model code of conduct has come into force with immediate effect in all the five states going to poll.
The Election Commission of India on Saturday stated that nearly hundred per cent voters have been provided the Electoral Photo Identification Cards (EPIC) in the five states — Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa — that are going to polls early next year.
There are 403 assembly constituencies in UP, 117 in Punjab, 70 in Uttarakhand, 60 in Manipur and 40 in Goa.
In UP, 85 seats are reserved for scheduled castes (SCs), 34 in Punjab, 13 in Uttarakhand and one each in Manipur and Goa. Manipur has 19 seats reserved for scheduled tribes (STs).
Chief Election Commissioner of India S.Y. Quraishi said that electronic voting machines (EVMs) would be used at all polling booths in the five states and “advanced preventive measures” would be put in place to ensure law and order during the polls. Central Police Forces (CPF) and State Armed Police (SAP) drawn from other states would be deployed in each of the poll-bound states.
Regarding the monitoring of election expenditure, Mr Quraishi said that adequate number of election expenditure observers would be appointed for the purpose.
The candidates would be required to open a new bank account and they would be allowed to use only this account for campaign purpose, he added.
The commission has also given high priority to deal with the issue of paid news. Apart from briefing representatives of political parties and media organisations, monitoring committees have been set up at district, state and commission level to take necessary action to check paid news during elections.
The Election Commission has taken up systematic and comprehensive measures for voters’ education and electoral participation, especially for the first-time voters.
Mr Quraishi also said that all critical events related to elections would be videographed and every poll-going state would have a complaint redressal mechanism based on website and a 24X7 call centre.