Campaigning ends for UP by-polls

Lucknow: Campaigning for by-polls in 11 Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh came to an end today. The Assembly seats are Saharanpur City, Bijnor,Thakurwara, Noida, Nighasan, Lucknow East, Hamirpur, Charkhari, Sirathu, Balha and Rohania, Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha told reporters here. [caption id=“attachment_1708337” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] He said by-poll is also being held for Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat, which was vacated by SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. The Assembly seats fell vacant after 10 BJP MLAs and one belonging to its ally were elected to the Lok Sabha. The CEO said micro observers have been deployed at all polling centers and arrangements of web casting have been made at 176 sensitive poling stations. He also said that for free and fair election, personnel of central forces have been deployed. While BSP is not contesting the by-poll, Congress and SP have fielded candidates in all the Assembly seats. BJP is contesting on 10 and its ally Apna Dal one. BSP and Congress have not fielded their candidates in Mainpuri, where the contest is between Mulayam’s relative Tej Pratap Singh and Shiv Singh Shakya of BJP. PTI