Electioneering gains momentum in Manipur, Punjab and Uttarakhand and in areas going to polls in the first phase in Uttar Pradesh.
In Manipur, political campaign for the ensuing state assembly elections has reached its peak.
Leaders of various political parties are campaigning for their party candidates in public meetings at different places in the poll bound state.
AIR Imphal Correspondent reports, with the arrival of political heavyweights in the poll bound state, election campaign has hit the highest point.
BJP General Secretary Kiran Maheswori addressed two public meetings in Imphal on Sunday.
Naga People’s Front leader and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio also addressed public meetings in the hill districts of Chandel and Ukhrul while NCP General Secretary P A Sangma campaigned for his party candidates in Ukhrul on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress Spokesperson Derek O Brien has released the party’s election manifesto Sunday afternoon at Imphal.
The party has promised an amicable political solution to the vexed insurgency problem in the state if the party comes to power in the forthcoming state assembly elections.
The party has also promised to remove protected area permit and implementation of inner line permit system in the state.
As the election date in poll bound state of Punjab is getting closer, the electioneering in main border districts has also started gaining momentum.
Candidates from SAD-BJP alliance, Congress, People’s Party of Punjab, BSP and Independents are reaching out to the voters of Ferozepur, Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran districts either through ‘nukkad meetings’ or through door-to-door campaigning.
AIR correspondent reports, in these border districts the main contest is between SAD-BJP and Congress but Independents would also play an important role especially those who have rebelled.
Candidates are reaching out to almost each and every village nearing border to woo voters.
Being border districts, the police and BSF is also on alert to keep a check on use of drugs and money to woo voters.
In this week only two consignments of 32 kilograms of Heroin and lakhs of fake Indian currency notes have been seized by BSF from Amritsar and Ferozepur districts.
As the basic problem in these border districts is development in villages near the border and infrastructure, it would be interesting to see which party would be able to win the voters’ confidence.
Even as cold wave is sweeping the hill state of Uttarakhand, election campaigning has increased political temperature in the poll bound state.
AIR correspondent reports, post delimitation political leaders are apparently spending more time in the plain areas of state since six seats have been increased in the four plain districts of Uttarakhand including Dehradun, Haridwar, Naintal and Udham Singh Nagar districts.
Overall nine hilly districts share 34 assembly seats whereas remaining 36 seats are spread in four districts.
Meanwhile star campaigners of Congress, BJP and other political parties are touring in the state, in a bid to woo voters.
Shiela Dixit, chief minister of Delhi while talking to media persons in Dehradun said that development is the core issue in this polls and Congress has always stood by the development.
Other end senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi alleged that Congress is misleading people on various issues.
Even as political activity has gained momentum, however voters are still mum.
In Uttar Pradesh, several prominent leaders filed their nominations on Saturday for the third phase of assembly elections.
Minister in Mayawati cabinet Jagdish Narain Rai filed his papers from Zafrabad seat in Jaunpur district.
As many as 44 nomination papers have been filed in Jaunpur, Chhatrapati Sahu Ji Maharaj Nagar, Chandauli and Kaushabmi districts.
AIR Gorakhpur correspondent reports, several seats in Varanasi, Allahabad and Sultanpur districts are prestigious for ruling BSP and the opposition. The election for the third phase will be held on 15th February.
Meanwhile, filing of nomination papers for second phase will end tomorrow. So far, 283 candidates have filed their papers for this phase.
The scrutiny of the nomination papers will be held on Tuesday while the candidates can withdraw their nomination till 27th January.
The polling for the second phase will be held on 11th of next month.
Meanwhile, the election commission has begun review meetings in first phase areas.
The state's Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha held a meeting with poll related administrative and police officials of ten districts in Faizabad and instructed them to conduct free and fair elections.
He said that the atmosphere should be made conducive for fearless voting.
The live webcast of poll process is also being arranged by the commission in 25 to 30 polling centres in each district.
This will be monitored by the top officials of election commission in Lucknow and Delhi. Training of poll-related officials has also begun in various districts.
AIR correspondent reports that the election campaign by the political leaders is gaining momentum in the state.
