Allegations of booth capturing, disputes over voter lists and clashes between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) workers surfaced in several districts of Uttar Pradesh on Friday as polling was underway for 11 seats of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav accused BJP workers of attempting to capture a polling booth in Fatehpur and questioned the Election Commission's response to the alleged irregularities. Some agitation was reported from Agra, Muzaffarnagar and other districts, while BJP MP Anurag Sharma's name also seemed to be missing from the list for the Jhansi-Allahabad graduate constituency.
The allegations came as voters cast their ballots in five graduate and six teacher constituencies, with voting scheduled from 8 am to 4 pm on October 23.
Akhilesh Yadav Accuses BJP Of Booth Capturing In Fatehpur
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav accused BJP workers and their associates of attempting to capture a polling booth in Fatehpur during the MLC elections. He also questioned the Election Commission's role and threatened legal action against officials allegedly involved in electoral irregularities.
"It seems that after feeding sleeping pills to the Election Commission, these BJP members and their associates have come to Fatehpur to loot the polling booth in the MLC elections. Is today a holiday for the Election Commission? No appeal to the Election Commission because appeals are made to those from whom some hope is expected," Yadav said.
He added that the SP was recording videos of alleged irregularities across Uttar Pradesh and would use them to file FIRs against officials found to be involved in tampering with the electoral process.
The allegations followed a commotion at booth number 159 at the Vijayipur block office in Fatehpur's Khaga area. SP representatives alleged that BJP workers were involved in electoral malpractice and that CCTV cameras had been switched off. Officials reportedly denied the CCTV-related allegation and allowed voting to continue.
BJP-SP Face-Off Reported In Agra, Muzaffarnagar
Tensions were also reported in other districts as BJP and SP workers exchanged allegations over the conduct of polling.
In Agra district's Fatehabad area, a commotion broke out after allegations that BJP workers entered a polling booth. SP alleged that people inside were removed and ballot papers were marked in favour of the BJP candidate.
In Muzaffarnagar, SP and BJP workers reportedly clashed in front of a state minister. Police intervened to bring the situation under control. SP members alleged that the minister took several people inside the polling booth while casting his vote.
Disputes also emerged in Aligarh and Gorakhpur. In Aligarh, two men allegedly posing as agents for a BJP candidate were arrested, while an SP candidate was reportedly heckled in Gorakhpur.
The incidents prompted allegations from both parties, with the SP accusing the ruling party of influencing the electoral process.
BJP MP Anurag Sharma's Name Missing From Voter List
In a separate development, BJP MP Anurag Sharma's name was reportedly missing from the voter list for the Jhansi-Allahabad graduate constituency.
Sharma arrived at his designated polling station, National Hafiz Siddiq Inter College in Jhansi, on Friday morning, but his name could not be found on the list, according to reports.
The incident came amid wider concerns over discrepancies in the electoral rolls for the graduate and teacher constituencies. The BJP and SP had raised complaints about voter-list errors ahead of polling, including alleged duplicate entries and incorrect names.
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer's office had said that an inquiry was initiated into anomalies reported in the Allahabad-Jhansi constituency. Election officials had also stated that eligible voters would not be denied their right to vote solely because of clerical errors if their identities could be verified.
Disclaimer: The Daily Jagran has not independently verified the allegations reported in this article.