The Election Commission of India (ECI) has geared up for tomorrow’s crucial assembly by-elections in nine seats in Uttar Pradesh where 34.35 lakh voters will decide the fate of 90 candidates including 11 women.

Polling for all nine Assembly seats will commence at 7 am and will end at 6 pm.

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The counting of votes will be taken up on November 23.

According to the ECI office, nine generals and five police observers have been deputed to look into the fairness of the polling. Besides, there will be 350 sector magistrates, 56 zonal Magistrates, 60 Static Magistrates, and 745 micro observers who will be deployed during these bypolls.

Of the total 3,718 polling booths in these nine Assembly seats, 1,237 are identified as critical while webcasting of the polling process would be done from 1,994 booths.

According to the ECI, the Ghaziabad seat has the highest number of 4.61 lakh voters and a maximum of 14 candidates in the fray. Similarly, the Sisamau seat has the lowest 2.71 lakh voters while the Khair seat has a minimum of 5 candidates in the fray.

Among the total 34.35 lakh voters, 18.46 lakh are male 15.88 lakh are female, and the rest are transgender.

The assembly seats going to polls are: Ghaziabad, Karhal, Khair, Kundarki, Majhwan, Phulpur, Sismau, Meerapur, and Katehari

The ECI said during the election process security personnel seized valuables and cash worth over Rs 6.73 crore between October 16 and November 18.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) after analysing the affidavits of all 90 candidates contesting the UP Assembly by-elections found an abundance of use of money power, and muscle power in the bypolls.

Criminal cases declared by candidates in this by-election were registered against 29 out of 90 (32%) candidates. They have declared criminal cases against themselves while 27% of the candidates have declared serious criminal cases against them.

Party-wise details of candidates who have declared criminal cases in the by-elections, the Samajwadi Party has 4 out of 9 candidates (44%), Bahujan Samaj Party 2 out of 9 (22%), Azad Samaj Party (Kashiram) 8 out of to 4 (50%) and 6 out of 8 (75%) candidates of BJP have criminal cases against them.

In criminal cases, Ramveer Singh, who is contesting on a BJP ticket from Kundarki in Moradabad, has the maximum number of 6 criminal cases registered against him.

Chief Convenor of UP Election Watch ADR Sanjay Singh said that among the crorepati candidates for the Assembly by-elections, 43 out of 90 i.e. 48% candidates are crorepatis. Bahujan Samaj Party has 8 out of 9 (89%), Samajwadi Party has 8 out of 9 (89%), BJP has 7 out of 8 (88) and Azad Samaj Party (Kashiram) 5 out of 8 (63 %) candidates as millionaires. The average assets of the 2024 by-election candidates are Rs 3.76 crore.

Among the candidates for the by-election, Suchismita Maurya, of BJP contesting from the Majhwan seat whose assets of around Rs 50 crore are the highest.