The Election Commission on Tuesday announced a ceiling on the number of vehicles that could be put to use by any candidate contesting the forthcoming state assembly election next month.
"No candidate would be allowed to use more than ten vehicles in his motorcade during the poll campaign," said Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha in Lucknow. Sinha added that the announced number would be excluding the vehicles attached for security of the candidate.
He said, "Necessary directives have been issued to all district magistrates to ensure that all candidates and political parties are duly informed about these regulations and that the details of vehicles are submitted before them well in advance to the concerned officials."
Meanwhile, as a part of enforcement of the election model code of conduct, the state excise department on Tuesday seized 159 boxes of country-made liquor from two different trucks in Panchsheel Nagar and Prabudh Nagar, Sinha said. "Four persons have been arrested in this connection", he added.
"In a separate raid on the direction of the election commission, local income tax authorities seized another vehicle carrying Rs 3.67 lakh unaccounted cash in Sonbhadra district," Sinha said.
While several illicit arms factories have been sealed since the declaration of the model code of conduct, as many as 141 illegal weapons have been seized so far, the CEO added.