Lucknow: As the stage is set for the counting of votes for the urban local body polls and the by-election to two assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, security has been tightened on the counting centres across the state on Saturday.
According to the officials, the preparations are complete as counting started at 8 am on Saturday.
In Moradabad, there are four centres where the counting of the polls will take place.
As many as, 1,249 constables, 200 sub-inspectors, 32 inspectors and two teams of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) have been deployed in the district.
"We will have counting of votes at 4 centres here. 1,249 constables, 200 sub-inspectors, 32 inspectors and 2 teams of PAC have been deployed. Only those with valid passes will be allowed near the counting centre," SSP Hemraj Meena told ANI.
The civic body polls were held in 17 municipal corporations across the state, including the recently formed Shahjahanpur municipal corporation. While the bye-elections were held in Suar and Chhanbey assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh.
About 53 per cent of voters exercised their franchise, out of the total 4.32 crore who were eligible, according to Election Commission data. Seventeen mayors and 1,401 corporators will be elected once the results are out. As many as 19 corporators have been elected unopposed.
UP had voted for civic body polls in two phases -- on May 4 and May 11.
The results will decide the fate of 83,378 candidates who are in the fray for 14,522 posts in the local body.
In the first phase, voting was held in 37 districts of 9 divisions and 10 municipal corporations. In 10 municipal corporations, voting is held in 830 wards, 9,699 polling places and 2,658 polling stations are set up in Municipal Corporations.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had left no stone unturned while campaigning for party candidates and conducted around 50 rallies, 28 rallies and conferences in the first phase and 22 in the second phase.
For now, UP had 16 municipal corporations, out of which 14 had BJP mayors.
The counting of votes for the Suar and Chhanbey assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh is also taking place on Saturday.
Suar assembly seat in Rampur district was declared vacant on February 13 after a Moradabad court sentenced Abdullah Azam Khan, the son of senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, to two years in jail in a 15-year-old case.
