Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath along with election commissioners Dr Nasim Zaidi and HS Brahma are coming to lucknow on a two-day visit to review poll preparation in the state from Thursday.
Meanwhile, Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha on Wednesday announced hike in the honorarium of booth-level officer to boost their morale and motivate them to perform their duties with utmost sincerity.
“The Election Commission has increased the honorarium for the booth-level officers from Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000,” Sinha disclosed adding that the move would motivate the officers on poll duty.
Talking to media persons here on Wednesday, Sinha said a three-member team of the Election Commission headed by CEC VS Sampath was coming to lucknow on Thursday morning to review the poll preparations in UP.
He said that after meeting the officials, Sampath and the two election commissioners would meet the leaders of political parties between 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm to discuss their problems as well as suggestions on conducting the elections peacefully.
Sinha said that each political party would be given ten minutes time to inform the Election Commission team about any violation of model code of conduct, posting of any officer who could influence voting in favour of any political party, particularly the ruling Samajwadi Party, and other grievances.
On Friday, the three-member team of the Election Commission would hold discussion on law and order front as well as poll preparations with district, range and zonal level administrative officers, mainly divisional commissioners, inspector generals of zones, range deputy inspector generals, district magistrates and district police chiefs.
later in the afternoon, the Election Commission team would hold discussion with the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary (Home) and Director General of Police. After completing the review work, Sampath would hold a press conference at 4:30 pm to brief media persons about the entire exercise undertaken by the Election Commission so far as well as step which should be taken to ensure free and fair elections.
Meanwhile, while issuing notification for the second phase of polls in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday morning, Sinha appealed to all the political parties and those contesting elections independently to strictly comply with the model code of conduct and also help the Election Commission to conduct peaceful elections by facilitating a record turnout this time.
The Chief Electoral Officer also requested the contestants as well as leaders of all political parties not to use any objectionable language against each other or hurt the sentiments of any community.
He also directed the officials concerned to ensure that processions were taken out only on routes for which prior permission had been sanctioned. Sinha asked the administration to keep in mind that routes of any two processions did not clash while granting permission for the same.