Lucknow: Voting is currently underway for the by-elections being held in two Assembly segments in Uttar Pradesh, election officials said Wednesday.
The bypolls are being held in Suar Assembly seat that was vacated following the disqualification of Abdullah Azam earlier this year after he was convicted in a case.
The second seat where voting is ongoing is Chhanbey in Mirzapur which fell vacant following the demise of Apna Dal MLA Rahul Kol.
Tight security arrangements have been made for polling on both seats.
Close to 4,000 civil police personnel, along with 48 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and Central Para-Military Forces (CPMF), are on security duty.
State police Special Director General (SDG) (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said: “While the civil police personnel will ensure free and fair polling at every booth, the armed forces, such as the PAC and CPMF, will be majorly garrisoned at sensitive areas.”
Sharing further details, Kumar said 259 inspectors and sub-inspectors, 2,163 head constables and constables and 1,497 home guards were among the security personnel who will guard the 190 polling centres and 330 booths in Suar and 301 polling centres and 444 booths in Chhanbey.
He said at least 18 checkposts and barriers had been set up on inter-state and inter-district borders to check corrupt practices during the elections.
At least 96 illegal country-made firearms and 99 cartridges had been seized and 9,440 licensed firearms were recovered from their owners to ensure no law-and-order issue occurred.
A total of 396 accused in several cases were issued non-bailable warrants and sent to jail, he added.
The top police officer said 459.40 kilograms of drugs, as well as narcotics substances worth Rs 33.46 lakhs and 33,931 litres of illegal country-made and foreign liquor worth Rs 270 lakhs, were seized while 765 illegal liquor manufacturing units shut down; 766 persons were arrested in connection with these offences.
The counting of votes will take place on Saturday.