E-Paper
Candidates protest rigging, attack cops
IN SANJAY Gandhi Nagar (ward number 83), supporters of 19 candidates were lathicharged when they were protesting against large-scale rigging by supporters of an Independent candidate at the Dayanand Saraswati Inter College centre here today.
IN SANJAY Gandhi Nagar (ward number 83), supporters of 19 candidates were lathicharged when they were protesting against large-scale rigging by supporters of an Independent candidate at the Dayanand Saraswati Inter College centre here today.
Several candidates and their supporters alleged that the administration had bowed before US Singh, husband of Independent candidate from the ward Sangeeta Singh. They said despite large-scale rigging the administration refused to countermand polling in the ward.
Sanjay Gandhi Nagar ward, which is reserved for women, witnessed vociferous protest from the candidates and their women supporters. They accused the local police of toeing the directives of US Singh.
The trouble started at around 1.30 pm when some women voters were allegedly given only a single sheet of the ballot paper by the presiding officer. The moment the news spread, the candidates protested against the presiding officer for ‘conniving’ with Sangeeta.
Candidates claimed that Sangeeta’s supporters had rigged the poll denying hundreds of genuine voters their right to franchise.
The situation turned volatile when SP leader Virendra Dubey, BJP leader Radhey Shyam Pandey reached the spot.
All the 19 candidates demanded cancellation of polling. However, the zonal magistrate along with senior police officials led by SP (crime) Sripati Misra showed reluctance in taking the decision. They tried to convince the candidates, but in vain. The candidates along with their supporters then demanded stopping of voting at the centre.
However, a mob of supporters led by several women candidates got infuriated when they found that voting at the centre continued despite protests. They tried to gate crash into the polling centre but cops foiled their attempts. The administration then decided to take a written complaint from all the candidates along with the demand for the cancellation of the candidates.
Interestingly, all the 19 candidates filed complaints against Sangeeta and demanded cancellation of polling. But moments later, policemen started to lathicharge the crowd. They did not spare voters who were collecting slips from booths. But the supporters of Sangeeta were not touched. Dubey flayed the police for its partisan role.
This act of the police infuriated the mob, which went berserk. They started to pelt the cops with stones. The police once again retaliated, this time with brickbatting.
The SP (crime), aware of the presence of scribes, reprimanded the cops for their act. In the melee, the car of SP leader Virendra Dubey was damaged. Finally, voting had to be ended 45 minutes before schedule.
