First phase of polling in State today

MUMBAI, February 21: As 24 of the 48 constituencies in Maharashtra go to the polls on Sunday, the State administration has deployed security...

MUMBAI, February 21: As 24 of the 48 constituencies in Maharashtra go to the polls on Sunday, the State administration has deployed security forces all around and geared itself up to conduct smooth elections during the first phase in the State.

State Election Officer D K Shankaran today said that 2.59 crore voters are likely to cast their ballots at 34,531 polling centres, with 1.80 lakh polling officials deployed on duty.

The constituencies in the first phase are spread across north Maharashtra, Marathwada, Vidarbha and western Maharashtra. They include Dhule, Nandurbar, Erandol, Jalgaon, Buldhana, Akola, Washim, Amravati, Ramtek, Nagpur, Bhandara, Chimur, Chandrapur, Wardha, Yavatmal, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Beed, Latur, Osmanabad, Solapur, Pandharpur and Sangli.

Security has been beefed up even as over 12 kg of explosives were seized in Naxal-dominated area of Alapallli in Gadchiroli district in Vidarbha yesterday.

State Chief Secretary, P Subrahmaniam, told mediapersons that security has beenfurther tightened in Naxal-affected areas of Gadchiroli, Chandrapur and Bhandara districts and the administration has taken all precautionary measures to ensure smooth polling tomorrow.

The chief secretary Subrahmaniam said he said he had made an extensive tour of the State and that "police has been sensitised regarding incidents like the Coimbatore blasts and recent communal violence at Akola and poll-related clashes in Parbhani." He said that following instructions from the Centre, security has been beefed up for Z category persons in the State. They include Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, Chief Minister Manohar Joshi, Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde and leaders of Opposition Madhukar Pichad and Chhagan bhujbal, he added.

Meanwhile, the first phase of the polls will decide the fate of several prominent candidates including Republican Party of India leaders Prakash Ambedkar and R S Gavai, former Indian Youth Congress president Mukuk Wasnil, former Speaker Shivraj Patil and former MPCC presidentSushil Kumar Shinde.