BJP candidates set to win unopposed on 292 out of 825 block pramukh seats

The BJP candidates looked set to win unopposed at nearly 292 of the 825 seats where nominations for block pramukh (or kshetra panchayat chairpersons’ polls) were held on Thursday, amid reports of violence at a few places

The BJP candidates looked set to win unopposed at nearly 292 of the 825 seats where nominations for block pramukh (or kshetra panchayat chairpersons’ polls) were held on Thursday, amid reports of violence at a few places.

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The Samajwadi Party looked set to retain its stronghold in Saifai.

Officials said the block pramukh scene would be little clearer on Friday after close of withdrawal time on Friday. Political observers feel that there would be several ‘withdrawals’ on Friday.

“Elections for the remaining posts at the rural level would be held on Saturday and results known the same day,” state election commission officials said.

Like in recent held zila panchayat chairpersons’ poll where zila panchayat ward members voted, in these block pramukh polls, the block development committee members will vote to elect their chiefs.

Both are indirect polls. There are 826 block pramukh posts in UP.

Many senior politicians, including former UP assembly speaker Mata Prasad Pandey whose wife is a contestant for the block pramukh polls in Itwa block of Siddharthnagar and former UP minister Lalji Verma who had gone to support a candidate in Tanda block of Ambedkarnagar, alleged harassment during the nomination process.

“My vehicle was smashed, we were targeted, and a set of nomination papers were snatched,” said Pandey.

Verma also alleged ill treatment at the hands of the ruling BJP members. At several places, BJP was up against rebels, as many party members fielded candidates against the party’s official pick. At few others, the BJP was up against independents.

“The BJP goons are openly threatening to murder democracy and the police is looking the other way,” SP MLC Sunil Singh Sajan said in Unnao.

“They have forgotten their past. The opposition claims are bogus,” said UP BJP spokesman Harish Srivastava.

“The opposition allegations of misuse of power are a bunch of lies. In fact, a viral audio of one of Samajwadi Party MLCs, in which he is obliquely claiming ownership of the fact that only he and his party have the copyright to hooliganism is self-explanatory,” said UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev.

In January 2020, the then additional state election commissioner Ved Prakash Verma had written to the state government to consider the proposal of amending the clause in the 73rd constitutional amendment that provides for indirect elections to these zila panchayat chairpersons’ and block pramukh posts.

HT is in possession of the letter written by Verma to principal secretary, Panchayati Raj favouring a proposal for direct elections to zila panchayat chairpersons and block pramukh polls.

“That missive was sent in response to a centre’s query of December 30, 2019, to the state on the subject. The point is that only the parliament can carry out an amendment if direct elections are to be held for zila panchayat and block level chief’s posts. And that means it would have to be considered at the appropriate level,” an official said.

The BJP that had lost to the Samajwadi Party in the elections to the 3050 zila panchayat ward members, made up by winning 67 (including a solitary win of its ally Apna Dal) of the 75 zila panchayat chairpersons’ polls held last week.

Fearing resentment in its ranks, the BJP had relaxed norms for these polls, allowing family members of ministers and lawmakers to contest these polls.

In zila panchayat ward members polls it had barred family members of party leaders from contesting and also said those leaders wanting to contest themselves would have to quit party posts.

UP labour minister Swami Prasad Maurya’s daughter-in-law is contesting these polls from Unchachar, in Rae Bareli.