Security tightened for 2nd phase of panchayat polls in UP

In the wake of incidents of violence reported during the first phase of the three-tier panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh, tight security arrangements have been made for the second round of polling tomorrow.

Lucknow: In the wake of incidents of
violence reported during the first phase of the three-tier
panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh, tight security
arrangements have been made for the second round of polling
tomorrow.

"Tight security arrangements have been put in place
and more than three lakh personnel including PAC would be
deployed in 198 development blocks in 68 districts where
polling will be held tomorrow," Additional Director General of
Police Brij Lal told reporters here.

He said that 1.03 lakh civil police personnel, 91,600
home guards, 18,400 Prantiya Rakshak Dal jawans, 140 companies
of PAC and 76,000 chowkidars have been deployed for poll duty.

"As compared to the first phase an additional 20
companies of PAC have been deployed this time," the ADG said.

In addition, 3,579 mobile teams have been constituted
which will continuously patrol polling areas, he said.

In the second phase, polling will be held for 15,312
wards of Chettra panchayat, 635 of zila panchayat and over
1.54 lakh wards of village panchayats spread over 198
development blocks in the state, joint Election Commissioner J
P Singh told reporters.

Taking a serious note of the violence in the previous
phase, the State Election Commission has said that in case
of trouble in the second phase of polling, district
magistrates and police chiefs will be held accountable
personally.

Meanwhile, in the flood-affected areas of Unnoa
district, polling will be held on October 27.

"The district magistrate has requested permission to
postpone polling at 59 booths for October 27 which has been
granted," Singh said.

Directing field officials to ensure strict compliance
of the model code of conduct, the commission has asked them to
lodge FIRs in cases of unauthorised meetings, use of more
vehicles than permitted and influencing or threatening voters.

-PTI

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