With 65 per cent turnout of the voters the second phase of panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh passed off peacefully on Tuesday. Barring the incidents of clashes between the supporters of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party in several western UP districts where firearms were used and incidents of booth capturing in several districts no major untoward incident was reported from any of the 73 district where polling was held on Tuesday.
State Election Commissioner SK Agarwal said, “like the first phase, the second phase of polling was also peaceful and there was no report of any untoward incident t from any part of the State.”
The Commission has ordered repoll at 21 polling booths in 10 districts.
In seven polling booths repoll has been ordered due to technical reasons as different ballot papers were sent there and in remaining there were complaints like pouring of water in the ballot box and other poll related irregularities. A case was lodged by the police against Ajit Prasad, the son of Social Welfare Minister Awadesh Prasad under the charges of giving threats and intimidation to a candidate for district panchayat. The FIR was lodged at the Raunahi Police Station against the Minister’s son.
In Meerut, Nawazish Manzoor, son of labour Minister Shahid Manzoor and supporters of the relative of BSP Rajya Sabha MP Munkaad Ali clashed at Radhna village of Kithore. Firearms were freely used in the clash. Police rushed to the spot and several persons were taken into custody.
The BSP supporters alleged that Minister’s son attempted to capture the polling booth. The District Administration is likely to recommend redpoll in the Radon village. In Etawah, the home district of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, police seized two rifles from the SUV of a Samajwadi Party leader Ramvir Singh Yadav.
Police had set up check post on the National Highway and arms were recovered from the vehicle. The occupants of the vehicle and driver managed to escape. Police have impounded the vehicle. Seven persons were arrested at Gangapur polling centre under Basrehar block of Etawah for fake voting. They were arrested by the SSP Manzil Saini as she checked the identity of the voters in a random check.