Polling begins for Ballia bypoll

BALLIA: Polling for the Ballia parliamentary seat in Uttar Pradesh started this morning on a peaceful note amidst elaborate security arrangements.

Ahead of the polling, district's borders with neighbouring Bihar had been sealed to prevent entry of unscruplous elements and paramilitary force has been deployed at 249 hyper-sensitive and 221 sensitive polling booths.

According to Superintendent of Police, Antony Dev Kumar, 10 companies each of CRPF and BSF, five companies of SSB and, 30 companies of PAC have been deployed for ensuring free and fair elections.

In addition, 2,100 constables, 305 sub-inspectors, 13 inspectors and 13 deputy SP and 400 head constables have also been put on election duty.

About 15,21,916 voters in this prestigious Lok Sabha constituency would decide fate of 16 candidates, including BSP's Vinay Shankar Tiwari and Samajwadi Party's Neeraj Shekhar, son of former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar.

While Congress has fielded Rajiv Upadhyay, Virendra Singh Mast is BJP's candidate for the seat.

SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP's chief Mayawati along with her close aide Satish Chandra Mishra had campaigned for the crucial by-election.