LUCKNOW: Statues of a firebrand Indian politician and her party symbol of an elephant were being wrapped in cloth on Monday after election officials ordered their covering ahead of state polls.

Mayawati, who comes from an 'untouchable' or Dalit community at the bottom of India's caste system, has erected many large stone statues of herself across Uttar Pradesh state, which she rules over as chief minister.

The election commission believes the statues could be unfair election publicity during polls which begin on Feb 8 in the northern state of 200 million people.

Chief election commissioner S.Y. Qureshi said the statues must be wrapped up by Wednesday in line with the Indian election code.

'We have done this to ensure a level-playing field for all political parties and to see that the ruling party does not derive any undue political mileage,' he told reporters.-AFP