Election Commission has completely banned Union and state ministers, MPs. legislators, mayors, Nagar Palika chairman and panchayat chairman in become poll agent or counting agent of any candidates contesting the lok Sabha elections.
Chief Electoral officer(CEO), Umesh Sinha said here on Tuesday evening that the latest directives have been given for a free and fair elections and level playing field for all the candidates. Now these ministers, MPs, legislators and chairman of the panchayats would be not allowed to become the poll or counting agents. The EC has also banned all election meetings or campaigning between 10pm in the night to 6am in the morning. Besides all processions would be banned 48 hours before the polling day. Election Commission also declared a holiday under the negotiable instrument act in all the districts on the day of polling.
Meanwhile the notification for the important fourth phase of polls in Uttar Pradesh would be issued on Wednesday for 14 constituencies where election would be held on April 30. Congress president Sonia Gandhi(Rae Bareli), BJP president Rajnath Singh and former UPCC president, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, both from lucknow, Union
Coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal and BJP's Murli Manohar Joshi(both Kanpur), Union minister of state for Rural Development Pradeep Jain Aditya and BJP's sadhvi Uma Bharati( both Jhansi), Union minister of state for HumanResources development Jitin Prasada(Dharaura), Chairman of theNational Commission for Schedule Caste and Congress candidate P l Punia from Barabanki and actor Javed Jafferi of AAP along with state minister Abhisekh Mishra of SP from lucknow were among the prominent politicians whose fate would be decided in this phase.
While Sonia Gandhi will file her nominations on the opening day of the filing of nominations at Rae Bareli on Wednesday, Rajnath Singh will file his nominations from lucknow on April 5. last date for filing of the nominations for phase-4 is April 9 and scrutiny of the nominations would be done on April 10 while candidates can withdraw their nominations by April 12. The seats going to poll in the fourth phase in UP are: Dhaurahra,
Sitapur, Misrikh(SC), Unnao, Mohanlalganj(SC), lucknow, Rae Bareli, Kanpur, Jalaun, Jhansi, Hamirpur, Banda, Fatehpur and Barabanki(SC). Nomination process for phase one in 10 seats where polling would be held on April 10 have been completed and 146 are in the fray. In the second phase where polling would be held in 11 seats on April 17 have also been completed and 146 candidates are in the fray. The last date for filing of nominations for phase-3 is April 5.