Tight security for Hamirpur assembly bypoll

Lucknow: The by-poll to Hamirpur assembly seat on Monday is likely to witness a four-cornered contest between the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), Samajwadi Party (SP),

Lucknow: The by-poll to Hamirpur assembly seat on Monday is likely to witness a four-cornered contest between the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress.

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The BJP has fielded Yuvraj Singh, SP Manoj Prajapati, Congress Hardeepak Nishad and the BSP Naushad Ali.

BJP MLA Ashok Chandel was disqualified from the assembly and byelection necessitated following his conviction in a murder case. Chandel was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Allahabad High Court in a 22-year-old case in which five members of a family were killed in Hamirpur.

The Election Commission has completed the preparations for the bypoll and central paramilitary forces have been deployed. The EC has declared 52 booths critical and decided to monitor them through webcasting.

Chief Electoral Officer Ajay Kumar Shukla said the polling would be held from 7 am to 6 pm. Four Lakh voters will exercise their franchise at 476 polling booths. Nine candidates are in field.

Shukla said electronic voting machines and VVPAT would be used in the polling and the result would be declared on September 27.