Lucknow, Apr 11 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday said elaborate security arrangements have been put in place to ensure a free and fair conduct of the urban local body elections in the state.

The election to 17 municipal corporations, 199 nagar palika parishads and 544 nagar panchayats will be held in two phases on May 4 and 11.

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Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar told reporters that 110 companies of the Pradeshik Armed Constabulary (PAC), 49,152 home guards, 16,252 inspectors and sub-inspectors, and 92,000 constables and head constables have been deployed for the two-phase elections.

A demand has been made to the Centre for 70 companies of central forces, he said.

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The police officer said 100 per cent verification of polling booths would be done by the administrative team and effective action would be taken against those who were involved in incidents of violence in the last elections.

He said action will be taken against hardened criminals under the Gangsters Act, National Security Act and the Goondas Act.

Kumar said that verification of licensed arms holders and weapons will be done and effective checking will be done by setting up barriers at international and inter-state borders.

Effective action will be taken against the elements posting objectionable, provocative, inflammatory material on social media, he said, adding "peace committees" will organise meetings with intellectuals and religious leaders in view of the elections.

He said that a total of 13,457 polling stations and 43,263 polling booths have been set up for the elections this time, 20 per cent more than 2017.

The notification for the urban local body polls was issued on March 9 and the nominations have started from Tuesday.

Thirty-seven districts in Saharanpur, Moradabad, Agra, Jhansi, Prayagraj, Lucknow, Devipatan, Gorakhpur and Varanasi divisions will go to polls in the first phase, and 38 districts in Meerut, Bareilly, Aligarh, Kanpur, Chitrakoot, Ayodhya, Basti, Azamgarh and Mirzapur divisions in the second phase.

The counting of votes will take place on May 13.

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