The nomination process for the second phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections is on in all the nine districts, as many as 117 nominations have been filed so far for 69 Assembly constituencies that are going for polls on 11th Feb.

Meanwhile, 20 nominations were filed on Monday for 41 Assembly segments in Gorakhpur and Basti divisions. The last date for filing nominations is 23rd January.

Campaigning for the first phase has gained momentum in 59 Assembly constituencies where polling is to be held on 8th February.

Meanwhile, in Punjab, main political parties, including the Congress, SAD-BJP alliance and People’s Party of Punjab led Sanjha Morcha (consisting of CPM, CPI and Shiromani Akali Dal, (Longowal) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are trying their best to woo voters in their favour.

Leaders of all these political parties are vigorously campaigning in the state especially in those pockets they feel would favour them.

One thousand eighty candidates remain in the fray after final withdrawal for the 117 seat member State Assembly going to polls on 30th of this month.

The Congress is contesting on all seats, the Shiromani Akali Dal on 94 seats, while its alliance partner the BJP is contesting 23 seats.

The Bahujan Samaj Party has fielded 110 candidates, People’s Party of Punjab is contesting on 91 seats and on the remaining seats its partners are contesting.

The Congress had released its manifesto while the PPP released it’s first 100-days agenda. The Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and Bhartiya Janta Party are yet to release their future policies for the state.

Meanwhile, election officials have started to dispatch postal ballot papers for the service voters in Uttarakhand.

According to election office, about one lakh service voters exist in the state. Out of that about 69,000 are male while about 31,000 are females. Uttarakhand goes to polls on 30th January.

Also, campaigning for the 70-member Assembly has gained momentum following the tour of senior leaders of political parities, including the Congress, Bhartiya Janta party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.

In Manipur, campaigning has gained momentum for the Assembly elections to be held on the 28th January.

Elaborate security arrangements are being taken up, more than 40,000 Army, police and the para-military forces will be deployed for the polls. So far, 218 companies of security forces have arrived in the state.

Security cover is also being given to candidates particularly those of the ruling Congress due to the ban imposed on the party by, a conglomeration of underground organisation which are boycotting the polls.