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UP to seal districts going to polls

The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered the sealing of all districts going to the polls on February 16 to prevent movement of arms and ammunition that may be used to disrupt the electoral process, official sources said yesterday.

It has also asked its officials not to tour those regions where any of their relatives were contesting.

Chief Secretary Rajiv Ratan Shah has asked all district magistrates and top police officials to follow the Election Commission guidelines that convicted persons should not be appointed as polling agents, official sources said.

Persons involved in election-related crimes in the last two general elections should not be let off without proper investigation. If found guilty, the candidates may be also taken into custody, the order said.

Security should be adequately tightened in those Lok Sabha constituencies, which have two or more districts under their purview, the order said.

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