MAYORAL CANDIDATES, except for the Samajwadi Party nominee, are obsessed with two things: Extent of damage caused to their vote bank by Samajwadi Party men in alleged connivance with police and administration and manipulation by those who matter in the counting of votes.
They are paying utmost attention on Mundera Mandi where ballot boxes have been kept for deciding their fate on November 6.
Congress candidate Chaudhary Jitendra Nath Singh alleges a large-scale rigging in City West Assembly area by SP MP Ateeq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf.
Contrary to the administration's claim the duo went out in their area and adopted every trick to stop a section of the voters from casting their votes. On his complaint, cops went there but did nothing, he alleged.
There were around 12,000 votes in Chakia where voters of only one community were allowed to cast votes. Ashraf went on a motorcycle and remained for over an hour at Pura Manohar Das polling station. Later, he went to Kareilly and Atala to influence the voters. From 4 - 5 in the evening Ashraf was at Unity Public School polling station. He was helped by the police all along, alleged the Congress candidate.
In Naini, where the Congress was feeling most comfortable, the rivals poured water in the ballot boxes and repoll has been ordered here. Most of the candidates fear manipulation in counting of votes under the pressure of Samajwadi Party leaders.
{{/usCountry}}In Naini, where the Congress was feeling most comfortable, the rivals poured water in the ballot boxes and repoll has been ordered here. Most of the candidates fear manipulation in counting of votes under the pressure of Samajwadi Party leaders.
{{/usCountry}}'Main jeet raha hoon', was the first reaction of BJP nominee Vijay Misra, who feels he is locked in a triangular fight with Congress and SP candidates. He too accused the police and administration of helping the SP candidate in the City West area. Ashraf and Ateeq, who were supposed to stay indoors after casting vote, roamed around freely, influencing voters and indulging in rigging, he added.
Misra too fears manipulation during the counting. "Lekin agar aisa hoga to shahar jalega," he warned.
He has urged the DM to announce cancellation of the election in case electricity is snapped even for a minute during counting.
UDF candidate Rajeev Agrawal has also accused the SP leaders of indulging in rigging in City West with the help of police and administration. However, despite this he claimed he was very much in the race, if counting was not "managed".
BSP supported candidate Kumar Narain too has similar fear and alleges irregularities during polling.
However, contrary to the above opinion, Samajwadi Party nominee Vinod Dube feels there was no manipulation as claimed by others in the fray. "Apprehending defeat, they are levelling wild allegations," he said.