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Mainpuri by-poll: BJP distributing cash, liquor & sarees to lure voters: Samajwadi Party
In a memorandum to the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Uttar Pradesh, the Akhilesh Yadav-led party has asked the poll panel to take necessary action against the alleged poll violation.
Lucknow: Days after accusing the Mainpuri district administration of coercing villagers into voting for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming by-poll, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has now alleged that the saffron party is distributing cash, liquor, and sarees in the Mainpuri and Etawah constituencies to lure voters.
In a memorandum to the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Uttar Pradesh, the Akhilesh Yadav-led party has asked the poll panel to take necessary action against the alleged poll violation. A delegation, led by the SP national secretary and former cabinet minister Rajendra Chaudhary, met the CEO of U.P. on Friday afternoon in this regard.
Issuing a statement in the matter, SP said, “The delegation gave a memorandum detailing the poll violations by the ruling BJP. In Mainpuri and Etawah districts, the ruling BJP has been distributing cash, liquor, and sarees in all the assembly segments of Mainpuri for the past ten days. This is in complete violation of the Model Code of Conduct. The district administration and the police administration have been mute spectators to all this.”
The SP delegation also said that several party workers were being pressured to get voting done in favour of the BJP. Meanwhile, the administration is intimidating SP supporters by sending notices that warn them about the demolition of their houses.
Chaudhary also said that the SSP, along with a large police team, arrived at the houses of former SP MLCs -- Arvind Yadav and Raju Yadav -- to arrest them. He asked the election officer to ensure a free and fair election in Mainpuri.
By-elections to the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat are scheduled on December 5. The seat was vacated after the death of SP patron and former U.P. CM Mulayam Singh Yadav.
