February 22, 2007	Thursday	Safar 4, 1428

NEW DELHI, Feb 21: India's Himalayan state of Uttarakhand went to the polls on Wednesday amid tight security, two days after blasts on a train headed to Pakistan killed 68 people.

About 75,000 polling personnel, including 6,500 paramilitary troops, were in place as six million voters began choosing from candidates running for state assembly seats, the Press Trust of India news agency said.

Almost 800 candidates are running for 69 seats, it said.

The northern state's borders with Nepal and Tibet, as well as two neighbouring Indian states, were sealed, officials said.

Vote counts in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Manipur are set to begin Feb 27.

POLLS IN UP: Crucial polls in India's largest state will be held in April, the election commission said on Wednesday as the ruling party withdrew support to the national government to gain an early advantage.

Local elections in the northern Uttar Pradesh would be held in seven phases starting from April 7 and ending on May 8, federal election commissioner N.

Gopalaswami told a news conference. Votes will be counted on May 11.

With more than 110 million eligible voters and the largest bloc of seats in parliament, Uttar Pradesh is a key political battleground. A majority of India's prime ministers have hailed from the state.—AFP