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VIOLENCE ROCKS CITY ON BALLOT DAY
THE DISTRICT administration ? out of compulsion or otherwise ? gave Samajwadi Party (SP) candidates a long rope and this led to largescale violence during polling here today. The officials, if asked to bend, literally crawled when it came to anything related to SP leaders and its candidates. Throughout the day, political leaders cried foul and their leaders angrily confronted the official battery but to no avail.
Admn crawls to oblige ruling party; Oppn protests go unheard
THE DISTRICT administration – out of compulsion or otherwise — gave Samajwadi Party (SP) candidates a long rope and this led to largescale violence during polling here today.
The officials, if asked to bend, literally crawled when it came to anything related to SP leaders and its candidates. Throughout the day, political leaders cried foul and their leaders angrily confronted the official battery but to no avail.
The Opposition parties had no option but to flood the observer and the State Election Commission with complaints. These parties alleging massive rigging and demanded repoll.
Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal sat on a dharna after Congress mayoral candidate Badri Narayan Tewari and city congress president Mahesh Dixit came under attack in Jajmau for opposing booths capturing by historysheeter Saud in ward no 86. Jaiswal said the party had demanded repoll at three places. The administration, he said, remained indifferent to all the complaints tendered against SP workers. They were being helped openly.
At Har Sahai College, the supporter of SP mayoral nominee arranged transportation for voters against norms. BJP candidate Ravindra Patni objected and complained only to get a cold response from the sector magistrate and circle officer. As transportation of voters continued, Patni had to stage protest.
Even in Kakadeo, the police came under fire for helping the SP candidate. Consequently, violence erupted and spiraled. The maximum complaints against SP candidates and their men came in from the Muslim pockets and South city.
At a booth in Nai Sarak area, a Muslim leader of the SP captured it for 45 minutes.
During this duration the police didn’t allow a single voter to step inside. Congress leader Iqbal Ahmed and Sharad Mishra said they informed the officials but nothing was done. At Medical College, Congress nominee Kamal Shukla Baby was assaulted in the presence of the local SHO after he raised his voice over polling of 5000 votes of the total 6000 votes.
In South city, some police station heads were seen stamping ballots for candidates “blessed” by a SP top gun. In fact, the violence witnessed today was due to police and administrative apathy. DIG Daljeet Chowdhary said the allegations of police being involved in rigging would be probed and any one found guilty be punished.
