In poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, the high-pitch electoral campaign is in full swing for the Third of the Seven-Phase Assembly Elections and Single-Phase polls in Punjab. The intense poll campaign is being conducted through public contact programmes on the super Sunday today. The Star Campaigners and prominent leaders of various political parties are engaged in public rallies.<br />''<br />''The door-to-door canvassing and virtual appeals to woo the voters also continue. The political activities are also picking up in Manipur with the different party leaders deliberating in marathon meetings to finalise their electoral strategies and formations. <br />''<br />''The Third Phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh will be conducted on 20th of February in 59 Assembly Constituencies across 16 districts including 15 seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes. These disticts include Hathras, Kanshiram Nagar (Kasganj), Etah, Mainpuri, Firozabad, Farrukhabad, Kannauj, Etawah, Auraiya, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur Nagar, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Jhansi and Lalitpur district. In addition, the Single-Phase polling in Punjab will be held simultaneously. All the 117 Assembly Constituencies in the state will go to polls together in this phase.<br />''<br />''The electoral contests in the Third Phase of Assembly Elections in Uttar Pradesh indicate mostly multi-cornered fixtures. There are 627 candidates in fray for 59 seats included in this phase. Maximum 15 candidates each are vying for three seats including Etah, Mehroni and Mahoba while minimum three candidates are in the fray for Karhal seat.     <br />''<br />''<br />''During the Single-Phase polling in Punjab, total 1,304 candidates are in fray for 117 seats after the withdrawal of candidature. Maximum 19 candidates each are vying for Sahnewal and Patiala seats while minimum five candidates are in the fray for Dinnagar seat.<br />''<br />''The picture of the electoral battle in the Fourth Phase of Assembly Elections in Uttar Pradesh shows mostly multi-cornered contests on cards. There are total 624 candidates in fray for 59 Assembly seats. Maximum 15 candidates are vying for Sawayazpur while minimum six candidates each are contesting for two seats including Palia and Sevata seat.<br />''<br />''The Fourth Phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh will be conducted on 23rd of February in 59 Assembly Constituencies across nine districts including 16 seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes. These districts include Pilibhit, Lakhimpur – Kheri, Sitapur, Lucknow, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Fatehpur and Banda district.<br />''<br />''<br />''Meanwhile, the scenario of electoral battle in the Fifth Phase of Assembly Elections in Uttar Pradesh and the First of Two-Phase polling in Manipur became clear with mostly multi-cornered contests on cards after withdrawal of candidature. There are total 692 candidates in fray for 61 Assembly seats in Uttar Prdesh for the fifth-phase. Maximum 25 candidates are vying for Pratappur seat while minimum seven candidates each are contesting for seven seats including Milkipur, Payagpur, Barabanki, Zaidpur, Haidergarh, Sadar and Kadipur seat.<br />''<br />''The Fifth Phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh will be conducted on 27th of February in 61 Assembly Constituencies across 12 districts including nine seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes. They include Shravasti, Bahraich, Barabanki, Ayodhya, Amethi (Chatrapati Sahuji Mahraj Nagar), Raebareilly, Sultanpur, Gonda, Pratapgarh, Kaushambi, Prayagraj and Chitrakoot district.<br />''<br />''During the First Phase of Assembly Elections in Manipur, thirty eight seats from six districts will go to polls on 28th of February out of which one seat is reserved for the Scheduled Castes and eight seats are reserved for the Scheduled Tribes. These districts include Imphal East and West, Bishnupur, Pherzawl, Churchandpur and Kangpokpi district. There are 173 candidates including 15 women are contesting in the first phase. Maximum eight candidates are vying for three seats including Sekmai, Saikot and Saikul while there is direct fight between the BJP and Congress candidates in three constituencies including Heingang, Nambol and Thanga.<br />''<br />''<br />''The filing of nominations for the Sixth Phase of Assembly Elections in Uttar Pradesh as well as the Second and Last Phase polling in Manipur closed on Friday. In all, 849 nominations were filed in Uttar Pradesh while 96 nominations were filed in Manipur. The scrutiny of nominations will be undertaken tomorrow. The last date for withdrawal of candidature will be 16th of February.<br />''<br />''The Sixth Phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh will be conducted on 3rd of March in 57 Assembly Constituencies from 10 districts including 11 ACs reserved for the Scheduled Castes. They include Balrampur, Siddharth Nagar, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Ambedkar Nagar, Ballia, Maharajganj, Kushinagar (Padrauna), Gorakhpur and Deoria district.<br />''<br />''In the Second Phase of Assembly Elections in Manipur, 22 seats spread over ten districts will go to polls on 5th of March out of which eleven seats are reserved for the Scheduled Tribes. These districts include Thoubal, Kakching, Jiribam, Chandel, Tengnoupal, Kamjong, Ukhrul, Senapati, Tamenglong and Noney district.<br />''<br />''The process of filing nominations for the Seventh and Last Phase of Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh is presently underway. The nominations can be filed till 17th and the scrutiny will be undertaken on 18th of February. The last date for withdrawal of candidature will be 21st of February. The Seventh Phase in Uttar Pradesh will be conducted on 7th of next month in 54 Assembly Constituencies from nine districts including 11 seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes and two for the Scheduled Tribes. They include Mau, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra and Bhadohi (Sant Ravidas Nagar) district. <br />''<br />''In view of the decline in COVID-19 cases, the Election Commission has relaxed the provisions of campaigning in the poll-bound states. As per the revised directives, the ban on campaign timings in these states will now be between 10 P.M. and 6 A.M. instead of earlier timing of from 8 P.M. to 8 A.M. Political parties and candidates may campaign from 6 A.M. to 10 P.M. following the COVID Appropriate Behaviour and protocols of State Disaster Management Authority.<br />''     <br />''The Election Commission further added that the political parties and candidates are now permitted to hold their meetings and rallies up to maximum of 50 percent of the capacity of the designated open spaces or the limit prescribed by SDMA. It said, Pad-Yatra consisting not more than permitted number of persons and only with prior permission of district authorities will also be allowed.<br />''     <br />''The Election Commission took note of substantial reduction in COVID cases in the country as well as in the poll-bound states. Based on the facts and circumstances, need of the political parties and candidates for greater participation in elections, the Commission further relaxed the provisions of campaigning with immediate effect.<br />''<br />''The Commission said that all other existing provisions related to electioneering shall continue to operate<br />