With first round of Parliament elections is set to take-off and voting for ten of the constituencies of Western Uttar Pradesh would start from Thursday morning at 16820 polling stations, state government ensured one of the tightest security ever particularly in the areas which were riot-affected.
Besides 180 companies of Central Para-Military Force (CPMF) and 72 companies of reserved force of States including Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), government also deployed over 39000 police personnel to provide a equal level field to everyone, irrespective of his caste or religion, economic status etc. Special measures have been also taken to ensure maximum voting pre cent by allowing the voters to visit on their own conveyance till the polling centers. As per the directives of the Election Commission, majority of central forces staff would man the polling centers while other security staff would ensure smooth law and order situation during the voting.
Sources said that the government gave top priority to Muzaffaranagar which witnessed one of the worst every riots in the State. Besides, 19 companies of CPMF and 9 companies of PAC, along with the force available with the district, state government also sanctioned Additional SP (Addl SP), Deputy SPs (Dy SP), along with 325 sub-inspectors, 415 head constables, 3300 constables along with over 5000 jawans of Prantiya Raksha Dal, Home Guard, and village chowkidars etc. Similarly in Bagpat, 10 companies of CPMF, 5 companies of PAC along with 188 SIs, 275 head-constables, and 1700 constables along with other police personnel. The force at Bulundshahr included 25 companies of CPMF, 10 companies of PAC along with 400 SIs, 635 Head Constables, 4500 constables etc.
In Saharanpur also, government provided 25 companies of CPMF, 9 companies of PAC along with 400 SIs, 575 head-constables, 4000 head-constables and other additional force. In Meerut, a total of 30 companies of reserved force which included 22 companies of CPMF has been provided along with SIs, HCs and Constables. For security of EVMs, government provided about 4 companies of CPMF.
Meanwhile the electoral fortunes of 154 candidates will be decided in the first phase elections at Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Kairana, Aligarh, Bijnor, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautambudh Nagar and Bulandshahar, on Thursday. With Narendra Modi aide Amit Shah’s controversial “revenge” remarks in Muzaffarnagar having stirred a controversy, significance in attached to polling in these ten constituencies. While BSP’s social engineering would be tested in this region as the party had won maximum five lok Sabha seats in 2009, performance of Ajit Singh’s RlD, which had won two seats then in alliance with the BJP, will also be examined as it has entered into an alliance with the Congress, which could not open its account in the region.
Going by the record of 2009 lok Sabha polls, nothing much is at stake for the ruling Samajwadi party, while the BJP is looking to increase its tally from two seats in past elections. In 2012 assembly polls too, out of 50 assembly seats spread in these 10 parliamentary constituencies, the BSP had won 18, SP 12, BJP 10 seats, Congress and RlD had won five seats each. While maximum number of 24 candidates are in the fray from Ghaziabad this time, Bulandshahr has minimum of 10 candidates in the poll fight.
In Muzaffarnagar constituency, a fierce contest is on cards between sitting BSP MP Kadir Rana and BJP’s Sanjiv Baliyan. Here SP has fielded Virendra S Gujjar, Congress has nominated Pankaj Agarwal and Mohd Yamin will be fighting on the AAP’s ticket. In Ghaziabad, there is a triangular contest between former General VK Singh from BJP, cine star Raj Babbar from Congress and AAP’s Shazia Ilmi. In Baghpat, there is a direct fight between RlD president Ajit Singh and former Mumbai police commissioner Satypal Singh, who is in the fray on the BJP ticket. Another constituency Bijnore will decide political future of Amar Singh’s close aide Jaya Prada, who had recently joined RlD. She is fighting against BJP’s Bhartendra Singh. SP has fielded Shahnawaz Rana for the seat while Maluk Nagar will be fighting on BSP’S ticket.Similarly, in Kairana, there is a four corner contest between Nahid Hasan (SP), son of sitting MP Tabassum Hasan, his uncle Kunwar Hasan (BSP), riot accused Hukum Singh (BJP) and Kartar Singh Bhadana of RlD. In Saharanpur, Congress candidate Imran Masood is fighting against his uncle Shadaan Masood of SP, BJP’s Raghav lakhan
Pal and BSP’s Jagdish Rana. From Meerut, Bollywod star and Congress candidate Nagma is fighting tough battle against BJP’s Rajendra Agarwal, BSP’s Mohd Shahid Akhlak and SPs’ Shahid Manzoor.
In Aligarh, BSP’s Arvind Kumar Singh, son of sitting MP Raj Kumari Chauhan and former minister Jaiveer Singh, is facing a tough challenge from SP’s Zafar Alam, BJP’s Satish Kumar and Congress candidate Bijendra Singh.In Gautam Budh Nagar (Noida), SP’s Narendra Bhati is fighting against Satish Kumar of BSP and Dr Mahesh Sharma of the BJP. The Bulandshahr lok Sabha constituency a fierce contest among Anju alias Muskan of RlD, Kamlesh of SP, BSP’s Pradeep Kumar Jatav and BJP’s Bhola Singh.