BJP intimidating voters, alleges Akhilesh ahead of Gola assembly bypoll
In a statement, the Samajwadi Party national president said to ensure free and fair polls, the Election Commission should immediately act against the BJP leaders who are “threatening and luring voters”
Ahead of the November 3 Gola Gokarannath assembly bypoll, the Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of threatening and intimidating voters in the constituency.
He appealed to people to vote for the SP candidate negating the ruling party’s “conspiracies”. The Samajwadi Party has fielded the party’s former Gola MLA Vinay Tiwari from the seat which fell vacant following the death of sitting BJP MLA Arvind Giri on September 6.
In a statement, Akhilesh Yadav said to ensure free and fair polls, the Election Commission should immediately act against the BJP leaders who are “threatening and luring voters”.
Canvassing for his party candidate, he said, “The SP government had done several development works in Gola Gokarannath and the victory of the party candidate will be in the interest of the area. The BJP only makes promises while the Samajwadi Party does what it says.”
The SP chief alleged that the BJP workers were harassing his party supporters and even threatening them. “Around 40 BJP ministers are moving around in the area with their security and spreading terror. The police personnel from the Yadav community are being identified and forcibly sent on leave. Government employees are taking part in the election rallies of the BJP candidate,” Yadav alleged.
“In this situation, which the BJP workers are creating, can free and fair polls be held?” he asked. “Hence, the Election Commission of India should take cognizance of the complaints (lodged by the SP), and register a case for poll code violation so that free and fair bye-election can be held in Gola Gokarannath assembly constituency,” Yadav said in the statement.
The bypoll to the Gola Gokarannath seat in Lakhimpur Kheri district are set to witness a contest between the ruling BJP and the SP as the Congress and the BSP have opted out of the electoral battle. A total of seven candidates are in the fray.
The BJP has fielded Arvind Giri’s son Aman while the SP has given the ticket to its former MLA Vinay Tiwari. The constituency had come into existence in 2012 following the delimitation exercise carried out by the Election Commission.
In 2012, Vinay Tiwari had defeated Simmi Bano of the BSP by a margin of 19,329 votes. Arvind Giri, who had then contested on a Congress ticket, had stood third. During the 2017 polls, Arvind Giri joined the BJP and won against Tiwari. In the 2022 U.P. assembly polls held earlier this year, Giri retained his seat bagging 1,26,534 votes and defeating his nearest rival Vinay Tiwari by a margin of 29,294 votes. (With PTI inputs)
