UP civic polls on November 22, 26 and 29
EVMs to be used for the first time for all posts in 16 municipal corporations, counting on December 1
LUCKNOW: The much-awaited civic polls in Uttar Pradesh will be held in three phases on November 22, 26 and 29, the state election commission (SEC) announced on Friday.
Counting of votes will be held on December 1 and the results will be declared the same day by 4 pm.
With the announcement, the partial model code of conduct comes into force, with immediate effect.
Electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used for the first time for all the posts in all the 16 municipal corporations. However, voting in nagar palika parishads and nagar panchayats will be through the traditional ballot paper.
In the first phase on November 22, voting will be held in 24 districts; in the second phase on November 26 polling will be done in 25 districts and in the third and last phase on November 29 26 districts will witness voting.
Announcing the poll schedule here, state election commissioner SK Agarwal said the model code of conduct would be applicable to only three departments -home, revenue and urban development. He said the staff associated with the polls directly or indirectly would also come under the purview of the code of conduct.
Agarwal said DMs and SSPs/SPs would not be allowed to leave their districts for purposes like training and meetings without the commission’s prior permission till the code of conduct was in force.
According to Agarwal, a total 3.32 crore voters will exercise their franchise to elect around 13,000 representatives in 16 municipal corporations (nagar nigams), 198 nagar palika parishads and 428 nagar panchayats. “Of the total voters, 53.5% are male and 46.5% female,” he said.
Agrawal asserted that the commission would take all security measures to ensure fair polls, adding that 10 per cent of the polling stations and booths had been identified as sensitive and special attention would be paid to them.
“We will use state forces only and not central para-military forces,” he said.
State election commissioner Agarwal said there would be a total ban on liquor sale in the districts on polling day and in the entire state on the counting day while the districts’ borders would be sealed 24 hours before voting.
Agrawal said the commission was using, for the first time, various IT tools and Apps for better poll management and greater transparency.