Polling for the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh will be held on June 1 along with polling for by-election to Duddhi assembly seat in Sonbhadra district.
There are 144 candidates in the poll fray in the 13 Lok Sabha constituencies going to polls in this phase, including 134 male and 10 female candidates.
Chief Election Officer of Uttar Pradesh, Navdeep Rinwa, announced that under Section 126 of the Representation of the People’s Act, 1951, to ensure free and fair elections, all election-related activities and campaigns would be prohibited in the 13 Lok Sabha constituencies of the seventh phase and in the Duddhi assembly by-election starting 48 hours before the conclusion of voting. This will take effect from 6 pm on Thursday, May 30.
The chief electoral officer said that following the end of the election campaign for the seventh phase polls, the district election officers of these constituencies would ensure that all the party workers and officials from outside were not present in these constituencies.
The 13 Lok Sabha constituencies going to polls in the final phase include Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Bansgaon (SC), Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur and Robertsganj (SC), which are spread over 11 districts. The Duddhi assembly seat where the by-election is being held falls under Sonbhadra district.
Rinwa said that in view of the scorching heat, necessary arrangements had been made at the polling stations, which include cold drinking water, toilets for men and women, and wheelchairs and chairs for people with disabilities and older people.
Additionally, shades have been installed on the polling station premises extending to the voter queue. Paramedics and ASHA workers at each polling station have been equipped with an ample supply of ORS and medical kits to safeguard against the heat. Paramedics have also been deployed alongside sector magistrates. The emergency ambulance service available in the districts has been kept at different suitable places so that, if needed, they can be quickly sent to the polling stations and polling booths. The CEO has advised the polling personnel and voters to use light cotton clothes while taking full precautions to avoid the heat.
