<span style="color: #222222;">In poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, the high-pitch electoral campaign is reaching peak on the penultimate day of electioneering for the Sixth of Seven-Phase Assembly Elections. The poll campaign for the last phase in UP and Second of Two-Phase polling in Manipur is going on in full swing. 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 />'' <br />'' The Sixth Phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh will be conducted on Thursday 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 />'' The final picture of electoral battle shows that there are total 676 candidates in fray for 57 Assembly seats going to polls in this phase. 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 />'' Meanwhile, polling for the First Phase of Assembly Elections in Manipur is progressing smoothly today. There are 173 candidates including 15 women are contesting for 38 seats in this 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 />'' Earlier, over 57 per cent voter turnout was registered during the Fifth Phase of polling yesterday in 61 Assembly Constituencies from 12 districts of Uttar Pradesh. With this, the political fate of 693 candidates in this phase was sealed into the Electronic Voting Machines. After completion of Fifth Phase of polling, 292 out of total 403 Assembly Constituencies in the state have been covered. The counting of votes will be taken up on 10th of March in all the five poll-going states including Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.<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 />'' The picture of electoral battle for the Seventh and Last Phase of Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh shows that 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. A total of 1,33,227 eligible general electors are there. They include 67,819 male and 65,408 female voters. 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 />'' 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 Election Commission has relaxed restriction of using only 50 per cent capacity of space for political meetings and rallies. Political parties and candidates can now hold their meetings and rallies subject to State Disaster Management Authority regulations. The poll body has also allowed Road Shows subject to SDMA regulations and with prior permission of the concerned district authorities. All other existing provisions related to electioneering shall continue to operate. The decision was taken in EC's periodic review meeting of the status of COVID in the country and especially in the poll-bound states.<br />''<br />''Earlier, the commission 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. It 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.</span>