Samajwadi Party Alleges Foul Play In UP Bypolls, Demands Repolling In Meerapur Seat
The Samajwadi Party demanded that repolling be conducted at 52 polling stations in the Meerapur seat and added that Rajiv Sharma of the Kakaroli police station should be arrested immediately.
The Samajwadi Party on Thursday alleged foul play in the UP bypolls claiming that the CCTV cameras in Galla Mandi in Kanpur were turned off. The party also demanded a repolling in 52 booths in the Meerapur Assembly byelection day after two parties clashed during the polling on Wednesday.
After the voting concluded for the Sisamau bypolls, the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were stored in the strong room at Galla Mandi. However, the Samajwadi Party claimed that the CCTV cameras monitoring the area had been switched off, leading to protests by the party workers. However, the district administration has refuted the claims and said that no cameras were malfunctioning and a detailed investigation has been conducted.
The Samajwadi Party also demanded that a repolling be conducted in 52 polling stations in the Meerapur seat and added that Rajiv Sharma, of the Kakaroli police station, who allegedly pointed a revolver at the voters, should be immediately arrested.
समाजवादी पार्टी, उत्तर प्रदेश
— Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) November 21, 2024
19, विक्रमादित्य मार्ग, लखनऊ
प्रकाशन/प्रसारण हेतु- दिनांकः21.11.2024
समाजवादी पार्टी के प्रदेश अध्यक्ष श्री श्याम लाल पाल ने मुख्य निर्वाचन अधिकारी उ0प्र0 लखनऊ को ज्ञापन देकर मांग की है कि 16-मीरापुर विधान सभा उप-चुनाव क्षेत्र में 52… pic.twitter.com/XxJdDnouMI
Meanwhile, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for allegedly stopping his party supporters from voting in the byelections and said that the BJP wants to win elections by manipulation.
"What happened in UP was a loot of votes by the BJP. (The BJP) wants to win elections by manipulation. They play the tactics of looting. The police, administration and the government are responsible for ensuring that there is higher turnout... But for the first time, the police and the administration were ensuring that the voting is not done," Akhilesh told reporters while attacking the BJP for Wednesday's bypolls.
He claimed that voters from the Muslim and backward community were prevented from voting and attacked the BJP for the 'dangerous trend'.
"Can you imagine that if you are a Muslim then you cannot go and vote. If you are a Samajwadi Party supporter and from a backward caste, then you cannot go and vote. If you are a Dalit, then cannot go and vote," the SP chief said.
"जो यूपी में हुआ, भारतीय जनता पार्टी ने वोट की लूट की। ये लोग हर चुनाव में कुछ ना कुछ लूट तंत्र अपनाते हैं।"
— Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) November 21, 2024
- माननीय राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष श्री अखिलेश यादव जी pic.twitter.com/Eslhfh4zmy
Akhilesh called it a new dangerous trend in democracy which has emerged in the BJP government. He also lauded the brave women for their bravery after video showed the women confronting the police officers in Kakrauli in Muzaffarnagar.
"Police showed pistols, will you stop women now? I want to appreciate those brave mothers and sisters, they showed that bravery and did not get scared...now I have got to know that those Policemen were arrested from Rajasthan...camera can't lie," Akhilesh added.
The SP leader was referring to the incident in Muzaffarnagar on Wednesday where police officer Rajeev Sharma, the SHO of Kakrauli, was seen in a video pointing his gun towards some people in the street. The incident led to a wide uproar among the opposition while the police officials later clarified that the officer was trying to disperse some alleged miscreants who were pelting stones at the police.
#WATCH | Jaipur, Rajasthan: On UP bypolls, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav says, " Police showed pistols, will you stop women now? I want to appreciate those brave mothers and sisters, they showed that bravery and did not get scared...now I have got to know that those… pic.twitter.com/wDKS4iXcFw
— ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2024
In response to the opposition's claims, Uttar Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya dismissed the SP's accusations. He took to X to target Akhilesh Yadav and his ally, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing them of fostering politics of arrogance and negativity. Maurya asserted that the public would reject their claims, stressing that the country needed development, not allegations and counter-allegations.
Voting for the nine assembly seats - Meerapur, Kundarki, Sisamau, Katehari, Phulpur, Majhawan, Ghaziabad, Karhal and Khair, took place on November 20. Counting will be done on November 23.
In the 2022 assembly elections, the SP had secured victory in Sisamau, Katehari, Karhal, and Kundarki, while the BJP won in Phulpur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan, and Khair. The Meerapur seat was won by the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), part of the NDA.
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