With the threat of horse-trading looming large, unprecedented security will be in place for Friday’s crucial legislative Council biennial polling at the Vidhan Bhavan in lucknow.
There are 14 candidates in the fray for the 13 seats for the Upper House of state legislature. A candidate is required to get 29 first preferential votes to get elected in the first round of the counting.
The Council candidates are: Yashwant Singh, Bukkal Nawab, Ramsunder Das Nishad, Balram Yadav, Jagjivan Prasad, Shatrudh Prakash, Kamlesh Pathak and Ranvijay Singh (all of SP), Atar Singh Rao, Dinesh Chandra and Suresh Kashyap (BSP), Bhupendra Choudhury and Dayashanker Singh (both BJP) and Deepak Singh (Congress).
Returning Officer and Principal Secretary (Assembly) Pradeep Kumar Dubey said in lucknow on Thursday that all arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of polling in which 404 voters (including one nominated legislator) are eligible to vote.
Dubey said that elaborate security would be in place. No one except the voters will be allowed to enter the polling booths. Polling would be held at the Tilak Hall from 9 am to 4 pm and thereafter counting of votes would be taken up from 5 pm.
Meanwhile State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Arun Singhal said that Additional CEO Hari Om would be the observer of the Election Commission during the polling process.
In the 403-member Assembly, the ruling SP has 229 MlAs, BSP 80, BJP 41, Congress 29, with the rest belonging to some smaller parties and Independents. In RS, there are 403 voters but in the council it is 404 as the nominated member can also vote.
Meanwhile hectic political activities were underway on the eve of the Council polls with all parties holding meetings and making allotment of candidates to its voters.
The political parties have organised lunch and dinner parties to woo their MlAs, who are camping in the state capital for past two days.
Senior leaders of the Congress and BJP are also camping in the state capital to monitor the council and Rajya Sabha polls.
The ruling SP has fielded 8 candidates with requirement of 232 votes and they are short of 3 votes for the eighth candidate. Similarly BSP with 80 member strength requires seven additional votes to ensure victory for its third candidate.
The BJP has the tough task of getting 17 additional votes for its second candidate in the council as its strength in the assembly is 41. Congress with 29 members in the lower house of the assembly, could romp home its single candidate.
On Saturday elections for 11 seats of Rajya Sabha would be held at the same venue. The electoral college will also remain the same except that the nominated member will not be able to vote.