E-Paper
2024 Lok Sabha election: Uttar Pradesh to see polling in all seven phases
The polling in Varanasi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in the fray for the third time, will be held on June 1
Spanning all seven phases from April 19 to June 1, the 2024 Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh will begin from the western region of the state known as the sugarcane belt and end in Purvanchal described as the rice bowl of U.P, according to the schedule that the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Saturday. The votes will be counted on June 4. Uttar Pradesh has 80 Lok Sabha seats.
The polling for the Varanasi seat, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in the fray for the third time, and Gorakhpur seat, the home turf of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, will be held on June 1. Defence minister Rajnath Singh’s Lucknow Lok Sabha seat will see voting in the fifth phase on May 20.
Polling for Phase 1 will be held on April 19 (eight LS seats), Phase 2 on April 26 (eight seats), Phase 3 on May 7 (10 seats), Phase 4 on May 13 (13 seats), Phase 5 on May 20 (14 seats), Phase 6 on May 25 (14 seats) and Phase 7 on June 1 (13 seats).
With the announcement of the Lok Sabha poll schedule by the Election Commission, the model code of conduct (MCC) has been implemented in the state, Uttar Pradesh chief electoral officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa said on Saturday.
The district magistrates and superintendents of police of all the districts have been directed to enforce MCC strictly and action will be taken against those who violate the code, Rinwa said.
The district administration has been directed to remove posters, banners, hoardings and wall writings from government establishments within 24 hours. The same is to be done within 48 hours from public places and within 72 hours from private properties. Central Para Military Forces (CPMF) will be deployed in the state to conduct peaceful and impartial elections, he said.
Teams that are supposed to watch election expenditure including flying squads, besides video surveillance teams and video viewing teams, have been activated. Voters can lodge complaints on the C Vigil App regarding election irregularities. They can post text messages and send photographs about distribution of freebies or liquor, he said.
The ECI has also launched a Voter Helpline App to locate polling booths and voter ID cards can be downloaded here.
The Know Your Candidate app will provide details of candidates, including criminal records, their assets and affidavits. The candidates with criminal background will have to give their details in newspapers thrice about their criminal past. Political parties, too, will also have to give details about such candidates in newspapers, he said.
The ECI has sent voter identity cards to 54 lakh newly enrolled voters through post offices and information about polling booths will be available on the toll-free number 1950. The ECI has posted dedicated officials in all assembly segments to create awareness about polling in schools, colleges and universities, he said.
BY-POLLS FOR LUCKNOW EAST, 3 OTHER ASSEMBLY SEATS ANNOUNCED
Bypolls for four assembly seats in the state will be held along with the Lok Sabha election, Uttar Pradesh chief electoral officer Navdeep Rinwa said on Saturday.
These assembly seats are Dadraul (Shahjahanpur), Lucknow East (Lucknow), Gainsari (Balrampur) and Duddhi (Sonbhadra).
The Dadraul assembly by-poll will be held during the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 13, the Lucknow East by-poll with the fifth phase on May 20, the Gainsari by-poll in the sixth phase on May 25 and the Duddhi by-poll in the seventh phase on June 1. The counting of votes in all the assembly seats will be held on June 4.
