With elections in UP drawing closer, and Lucknow getting a new chief secretary, home secretary and DGP, the Election Commission has ordered a meeting of nine Home Secretaries of states bordering UP on March 20 — to take stock of the law and order situation arising during the polls and also to combat the influx of disruptive elements in UP during the elections.

The states that will take part in the meeting are Chhattisgrah, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Haryana, HP, Delhi, Rajasthan and MP. The seriousness of the meeting can be gauged from the fact that generally a meeting of home secretaries and DGP is called a few days before the actual date of polling, but this time, the EC has passed orders for convening the meeting much in advance. Sources in the EC said the Naxalite unrest in the bordering states had compounded the law and order situation, which as it is a serious issue of concern during the polls.