Photos: R.V. Moorthy

HOTTING UP IN U.P.: Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati after meeting Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami in New Delhi on Friday, demanding the derecognition of the BJP for circulating a controversial CD.

LUCKNOW: The first phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections will be held on Saturday in 62 constituencies spread across 13 districts, including Etawah, home district of Chief Minister Mulayam Singh. Mr. Singh is in the fray in Bhartana there.

Ever since the campaign began, Etawah had attracted the attention of all parties. It was Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati who first addressed a rally in Etawah. She was followed by Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi addressed a rally in Bhartana on April 3 and conducted a roadshow. The next day Congress president Sonia Gandhi was in Etawah, as was Railway Minister Lalu Prasad. In fact, the onslaught by the Congress, the BJP and the BSP appears to have given the Chief Minister anxious moments. He is reported to be spending the nights in Etawah after finishing campaign in other parts.

With 14 constituencies, Kanpur and Kanpur Dehat are the other important districts going to the polls in the first phase.

Jan Morcha alliance president Raj Babbar's political prestige is at stake in Agra. He has been camping in Agra for the past 20 days to ensure the victory of the Jan Morcha and alliance candidates.

Photos: R.V. Moorthy

BJP leaders (from left) Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Prakash Jawdekar coming out of the Election Commission after replying to a notice on the issue, in New Delhi.

In the 2002 Assembly polls, the SP won in 24 constituencies, the BJP in 16, the BSP in 14, the Congress in 4, the Rashtriya Lok Dal in two and the Rashtriya Kranti Party and Independent in one each of the 62 constituencies going to the polls on Saturday.

For the first phase, 657 companies of the Central paramilitary force would be deployed at 16,000 polling stations and around 9,000 polling centres.

Chief Electoral Officer Anuj Kumar Bishnoi said that in some places the Central forces would be assisted by the Provincial Armed Constabulary.

He said Deputy Election Commissioner J.P. Prakash would move in a chopper and conduct surprise checks.

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