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Mainpuri by-election: SP accuses dist admin of coercing villagers into voting for BJP, meets poll officer
The group asked the poll panel to remove the district magistrate (DM) and the senior superintendent of police (SSP) of Mainpuri.
Lucknow: A delegation of the Samajwadi Party (SP) met the Uttar Pradesh chief election officer (CEO) on Sunday and alleged that the Mainpuri district administration was pressuring villagers and blockheads to vote for the BJP in the by-poll scheduled on December 5. The group asked the poll panel to remove the district magistrate (DM) and the senior superintendent of police (SSP) of Mainpuri. This was the third time in the last four days that the SP delegation met the U.P. CEO over the forthcoming Mainpuri by-poll.
On Sunday afternoon, representatives of the party met U.P. CEO Ajay Kumar Shukla and demanded the removal of DM Avinash Kumar Rai and SSP Jai Prakash Singh for allegedly misusing their administrative powers. In their memorandum, the SP leaders claimed that the officials were putting pressure on village heads, blockheads, district panchayat members, and others to vote for the BJP in the Mainpuri by-poll. They said that free and fair election was not possible till these officials remain in their posts.
Before this, another delegation of the SP had met the U.P. CEO on Thursday demanding the removal of a few police personnel who, according to the party, have been working to favour the ruling BJP in the Mainpuri by-poll. Later, on Friday, a delegation of the SP met the U.P. CEO and alleged that four SHOs of police stations in the Jaswantnagar assembly segment had been sent on forced leave ahead of the by-poll. The group sought the intervention of the Election Commission of India for an impartial election.
The Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency seat fell vacant after the demise of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.
