Uttar Pradesh: 35.43 pc polling till 1300 hrs, EC seeks report on poll rigging

EC has sought report from the Amethi district authorities over BJP candidate Smriti Irani's allegation that an old lady was forced to vote for Congress.

The alleged presiding officer has been removed while the district authority was investigating the matter to give a report to the EC before the end of the polling.

In Lucknow, a three-member delegation of the Samajwadi Party led by Rajendra Choudhury submitted a memoradum to the EC alleging rigging of polls in Kunda and Babaganj assembly segment of Kaushambhi Lok Sabha seat.

"The Dalits and minorities are not allowed to cast their votes in more than 50 booths in these two assembly segments," the delegation said alleging that Raja Bhaiyya and his supporters are behind this.

The SP delegation also alleged that the ruling BJP was creating obstacles in free and fair polls and in Kunda, the authorities have failed to conduct a transparent polls.
On the other hand, the SP candidate from Kaushambi Indrajeet Saroj too alleged that the ruling party, with the help of authorities, are rigging the polls.

Earlier, Pratapgarh authorities had detained Raja Bhaiyya along with 10 other leaders of the district on the polling day today, and they were only allowed to cast their votes apprehending their involvement in rigging the polls.

According EC officials, the polling was peaceful though there were reports of EVM malfunctioning at several booths.

"The EVMs or VVPAT machines have been changed and polling has started peacefully, " they claimed.

They claimed that the polling percentage which was 9.76 per cent till 0900 hrs, reached 22.88 per cent at 1100 hrs and 35.43 pc at 1300 hrs.

In Lucknow, the polling was brisk in the early hours but it slowed down as the mercury rose. Till 1300 hours, the polling in Lucknow was just 33.14 per cent.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BSP president Mayawati, Bihar Governor Lalji Tandon, along with several political leaders, and bureaucrats exercised their franchise in the state capital.

Report from different districts said that voters have boycotted the polls on their demand of development and other issues.

A report from Gonda said that irate villages thrashed a Booth Level Officer(BLO) at Kachnapur booth number 56 after names of several voters were found missing from the electoral rolls.

In Kaushambhi, voters of Torhi Ka Purwa in Kunda assembly segment boycotted the polls on the demand for a road while in Amethi lok Sabha seat, voters of booth number 125 boycotted the polls on their demand for an under bridge.

In Barabanki, voters of two villages in Kamalpur and Paharpur under Siddhaur block boycotted the polls on their demand for a bridge on a river while in Hargaon in Sitapur Lok Sabha seat, voters of Singhanipara village boycotted the polls due to their demand for development of the village.

Another report from Sitapur under Dhaurarha Lok Sabha seat said around 400 voters boycotted the polls at Kahmara village over lack of development while in Bahriach's Nanpara area voter of Sarai village boycotted the polls.

Till 1300 hrs, the polling percentage was 38.63 pc in Dhaurarha ,38.40 pc in Sitapur, 37.38 pc in Mohanlalganj, 33.14 pc in Lucknow,32.60 pc in Rae Bareli, 33.94 pc in Amethi ,40.39 pc in Banda, 33.1 pc in Fatehpur,32.57 pc in Kaushambhi , 35.50 pc in Barabanki, 35.57 pc in Faizabad,35.60 pc in Bahriach ,34.84 pc in Kaiserganj and 34.77 pc in Gonda.