Other States - Uttar Pradesh   

Poll notification puts brakes on Mulayam's rallies

Atiq Khan

Three-phase elections to be held from October 3 to November 6

LUCKNOW: With the State Election Commission for local bodies and panchayat elections issuing the notification for upcoming three-phase local bodies elections in Uttar Pradesh on Monday, permission would have to be sought from it by the Chief Minister's Office for distribution of the much talked about Kanya Vidya Dhan cheques and unemployment allowance by Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The model code of conduct for the three-phase elections - to be held from October 3 to November 6 -- became effective immediately after notification for the polls.

Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav, who distributed Kanya Vidya Dhan cheques and unemployment dole in his native village Saifai in Etawah district earlier on Monday morning -- before the notification was issued at 1 p.m. -- is scheduled to give the cheques and allowance to the beneficiaries at Meerut on September 27. The venue of the function, Meerut Sports Stadium which was vandalised by sportsmen a couple of days ago, was inspected by the State Chief Secretary, N.C. Bajpai, and Director-General of Police, B. Singh, on Sunday. Mr. Bajpai reportedly said that the function would be held, notwithstanding the notification for the local bodies polls.

However, State Election Commissioner Aparmita Prasad Singh was quite firm that the Chief Minister's Office will have to seek his permission for conducting the function. "No letter has yet been received by the Commission," Mr. Singh said.

The State Election Commissioner, who relinquishes office in December this year after serving a five-year term, said the people's representatives would not be allowed to mess with the model code of conduct.

Mulayam Singh has already distributed Kanya Vidya Dhan cheques and unemployment dole at 15 places across the State including Lucknow, and the one proposed at Meerut was to be the 16th function with one more planned for a later date.

The Commission would have no objection if the Chief Minister's Office agreed to organise the proposed function at Meerut or any other places in the rural areas. "Since the local bodies' polls are to be held in urban, municipal and semi-urban areas, popular functions attended by people's representatives were a strict no-no," the State Election Commissioner stated.

Following the model code of conduct, all review meetings in the cities and districts presided over by the Ministers have been banned. No official tours would be allowed during the period and fresh transfers and postings have also been stayed. However, there is no bar on secretary-level transfers. No fresh tenders for development works in the local bodies would be floated. Use of discretionary fund on development works in urban areas has also been kept in abeyance.

The elections have been staggered over three phases between October 3 and November 6. One hundred and ninety-four Nagar Palika Parishads will go to the polls in the first phase on October 28, followed by elections to 12 Nagar Nigams (Municipal Corporations) on October 31. In the third and final phase, elections to 421 Nagar Panchayats are scheduled for November 3. The counting of votes for all the three phases would be held on November 6.

Nominations for the three phases open on October 3, with October 6 being the last date for filing papers. The scrutiny of papers for the three phases would be held simultaneously on October 9, and October 12 is the last date for withdrawals. The election to the Renukoot Nagar Panchayat in Sonebhadra district has been moved to November 23, and counting of votes will take place on November 26.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

`Cong., Jan Morcha should fight polls together'
Neo-Gandhians use novel way to protest
U.P. power employees strike work
Hearing adjourned
"Amitabh's security reduced because of proximity with me"
Five jailed for attempt to murder
Poll notification puts brakes on Mulayam's rallies

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu