Though some statues were covered in haste by employees in Noida yesterday, the formal orders arrived only last evening, officials said today.

“Draping of statues as directed by the Election Commission would be completed in the deadline given – by 5 pm, January 11,” said Hridesh Kumar, District Magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar.

There are around 52 elephant statues and two Mayawati statues at the Noida national Dalit prernasthal. At Gautam Budha University too there are 10 statues of elephants and one of Mayawati, Kumar said.

Authorities in Lucknow said they have received the order, and draping would start from tomorrow and would be done in the stipulated period given by the commission. However, the work has not begun yet.

“The work of draping statues will not be executed today and could start from tomorrow,” Lucknow district magistrate and district electoral officer Anil Sagar said.

He said efforts would be made to complete the work within the deadline fixed by the EC. Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha said the orders would have to be complied with.

The statues of the BSP symbol, elephant, constructed under a fountain in Samajik Parivartan Sthal at Gomti Nagar in Lucknow were covered yesterday, though some BSP activists allegedly removed the veil within minutes.

The EC had on Saturday ordered all statues of Mayawati and her party symbol installed at several places in UP be covered until the Assembly polls were over in the state.

Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi had said the directive should be implemented “at the earliest” as the matter related to the model code of conduct.