POLLING FOR the second phase of civic elections here was held amid incidents of violence especially in the southern part of the city which witnessed brick-bating and clashes all the day at different polling stations.
The police, by and large, remained a mute spectator to the violent scenes even as its indifference caused much inconvenience to the candidates, voters as well as common people. Everywhere, there was the same complaint that muscle power scored over police power.
In Chanakyapuri, block pramukh of Rasoolabad Suresh Yadav and his armed supporters forcibly entered the National Public School polling booth, and fired several rounds to terrorise voters.
The SP activists virtually controlled the polling for more than two hours and the force deployed on duty there looked the other way.
In ward No 36, Bingawan, BJP candidate Vinod Pal and Congress candidate Manoj Gupta accused the police of rigging the poll in favour of SP candidate Balwant Yadav. Balwant is grandson of Harmohan Singh Yadav, who is said to be very close to chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.
In ward No 104, Rehana of Congress alleged that supporters of SP candidate captured the polling booth and despite several complaints to senior officials the police did nothing.
{{/usCountry}}In ward No 104, Rehana of Congress alleged that supporters of SP candidate captured the polling booth and despite several complaints to senior officials the police did nothing.
{{/usCountry}}Taking the advantage of police inaction, candidates especially belonging to the ruling party exploited the situation in their favour. Member of State Minorities Commission Neelam Romila Singh allegedly used unparliamentary language for the officer on poll duty at Central Leather Research Institute polling station and forcibly got released the SP supporters who had been detained by the police on account of fake voting.
The violent incidents were indicative of the depressing situation that continued to grip the entire city throughout the day but at the end of the day the police claimed that the polling was peaceful. Senior officials claimed that barring stray incidents of violence the polling was peaceful and no arrests had been made.