E-Paper
Uttar Pradesh civic poll and assembly bypolls: SP petitions SEC, ECI over poll anomalies
Samajwadi Party has petitioned for free and fair elections in the second and final phase of Uttar Pradesh urban local body polls, citing anomalies in the first phase. The party's national secretary, Rajendra Chaudhary, claimed there were anomalies in the voter list and changes to polling centres, which deprived voters of exercising their franchise. Meanwhile, senior SP leader Arvind Kumar Singh has complained to the Election Commission of India of misuses of power by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in bypolls to be held on May 10 in Chhanbey (Mirzapur).
Claiming large-scale anomalies in the first phase of the U.P. urban local bodies elections (ULB), Samajwadi Party (SP) national secretary and former U.P. minister Rajendra Chaudhary on Monday petitioned the state election commission for free and fair elections in the second and final phase of ULB polls in 38 districts on May 11.
The first phase of elections was held in 37 districts on May 4.
“In the first phase polls in 37 districts, there were anomalies in the voters’ list and at the same time unwarranted changes in polling centres. All this deprived a large number of voters of exercising their franchise”, said Chaudhary in the petition according to the statement issued by the party.
He has sought effective arrangements to prevent anomalies in the second phase.
Meanwhile, the senior SP leader and former MP Arvind Kumar Singh has complained through a letter to the chief election commissioner, Election Commission of India of misuse of power by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Chhanbey (Mirzapur) bypolls to be held on May 10.
According to the party statement, Singh in his letter said that the ruling party and its ally Apna Dal were misusing power and trying to influence the elections and were filing fake cases against the SP supporters and workers.
“It has come to notice that the BJP and Apna Dal district presidents have identified certain SP leaders, supporters and workers and have given lists of their names to the police to create pressure on them. And the police were harassing those SP men. All this is a blatant violation of the model code of conduct and the spirit of the election commission”, the statement said quoting Singh.
The statement said that Singh has made an appeal to the commission for free, fair, and fearless bypolls.
