EC worried about issuance of arms licences in UP

With the impending assembly poll in Uttar Pradesh early next year, Election Commission of India on Wednesday expressed concern over “liberal” issuance of arms licenses in some districts of the state.

Some of these districts are Shahjahanpur, Allahabad, Azamgarh, Chitrakoot, Gorakhpur, Deoria, Hardoi and Lucknow.

“We have flagged this issue and will have a detailed examination of it,” Chief Election Commissioner S Y Qureshi said addressing the media here this evening.

He was in town to hold meeting with senior state government officials, divisional commissioners and district magistrates on the preparedness of holding the poll.

The Commission also met the state leaderships of major political parties to hear their grievances and suggestions regarding the poll.

“There has been marked improvement in the preparation of photo electoral lists and cards in UP,” he informed.

The political parties have raised the issue of dummy candidates, misuse of official machinery and strictness of the model code of conduct, which they demanded be liberalised.

However, Qureshi lamented the poor voter turnout in UP, which was about 46 per cent and still lower at 30 odd per cent in urban areas.

“We are giving emphasis to voters education and control the use of money power during poll,” he added.

“The announcement of poll dates would depend upon several factors, including availability of central forces, exams, weather, harvest time etc,” he said.