<span style="color: #222222;">In poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, the high-pitch electoral campaign for the Fifth of Seven-Phase Assembly Elections is going on in full swing as the preparations for Fourth Phase polling scheduled to be held tomorrow are being given final touches. Political parties have also intensified their poll campaign for the subsequent phases in UP and Two-Phase polling in Manipur. The Star Campaigners and prominent leaders of various political parties are engaged in public rallies. The door-to-door canvassing and virtual appeals to the voters also continue. The party leaders are trying to reach out and woo the voters in different parts of the two states.<br />''</span><br />''The Fourth Phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh will be conducted tomorrow in 59 Assembly Constituencies including 16 ACs reserved for the Scheduled Castes from nine districts. These districts include Pilibhit, Lakhimpur – Kheri, Sitapur, Lucknow, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Fatehpur and Banda district.<br />''<br />''Meanwhile, the final picture of electoral battle for the Seventh and Last Phase of Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh emerged after the withdrawal of candidature last evening. There are total 613 candidates in fray for 54 Assembly seats indicating largely multi-cornered contests. Maximum 19 candidates are vying for Ghazipur seat while minimum six candidates each are contesting for two seats including Pindra and Shivpur in Varanasi district.<br />''<br />''In addition, the Assembly By-Election for the Majuli seat in Assam will also be held simultaneously where there is a triangular contest on cards. The ruling BJP has fielded Bhuban Gam while the Opposition parties have put their weight behind Asom Jatiya Parishad's Chittaranjan Basumatary while Bhaity Richong of the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) is the third candidate. The By-Poll was necessitated following the resignation of Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal from this seat after being elected to the Rajya Sabha.<br />''<br />''The Fifth Phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh will be conducted on 27th of February in 61 Assembly Constituencies including nine ACs reserved for the Scheduled Castes from 12 districts. These districts include Shravasti, Bahraich, Barabanki, Ayodhya, Amethi (Chatrapati Sahuji Mahraj Nagar), Raebareilly, Sultanpur, Gonda, Pratapgarh, Kaushambi, Prayagraj and Chitrakoot district.<br />''<br />''The electoral battle scenario in the Fifth Phase of Assembly Elections in Uttar Pradesh indicates that there are total 692 candidates in fray for 61 Assembly seats. 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 />''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.<br />''<br />''There are 173 candidates including 15 women are contesting for 38 seats 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 />''The scenario of multi-cornered electoral battle emerged for the Sixth Phase of Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh along with the Second and Last Phase of polling in Manipur after the withdrawal of candidature. The final picture shows that there are total 676 candidates in fray for 57 Assembly seats. Maximum 15 candidates each are vying for three seats including Tulsipur, Gorakhpur Rural and Padrauna while minimum seven candidates are contesting for Salempur seat.<br />''<br />''The Sixth Phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh will be conducted on 3rd of March in 57 Assembly Constituencies including 11 ACs reserved for the Scheduled Castes from 10 districts. These districts include Ballia, Balrampur, Siddharth Nagar, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Ambedkar Nagar, 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. There are 92 candidates including two women are contesting for 22 seats in the Second Phase. Maximum eight candidates are vying for Wangkhem seat while there is direct fight between the BJP and Congress candidates in two constituencies including Chandel and Nungba.<br />''<br />''The Seventh Phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh will be conducted on 7th of next month in 54 Assembly Constituencies including 11 ACs reserved for the Scheduled Castes and two for the Scheduled Tribes from nine districts. These districts 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. The 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 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 Poll Body decided to restore the maximum limit on number of Star Campaigners and the time period for submission of the list of Star Campaigners for all ongoing and future elections with immediate effect. The Commission took the decision in view of the decline in cases of COVID -19 and the gradual lifting of restrictions by the Central and State Governments. The commission said, now the maximum limit on the number of Star Campaigners for recognized National and State political parties will be 40 and for other than recognized political parties, it will be 20.  It said this in a letter to the President and General Secretary of the recognized National and State-level political parties. Earlier, the commission had reduced the number of Star Campaigners for recognised parties in October 2020.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">The commission said that for the ongoing Assembly Elections to both the phases of Manipur and 5th, 6th and 7th phases of Uttar Pradesh and Bye-Election to Majuli Assembly Seat in Assam, the list of additional Star Campaigners, if any, can be submitted with the Election Commission or the concerned Chief Electoral Officer by 5 P.M. tomorrow.</span><br />