Taking cognizance of complaints from the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Election Commission (EC) has requested a detailed report from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Uttar Pradesh regarding allegations of bias in the posting of officials ahead of the Assembly bypolls in the state.
SP’s Allegations of Bias
A Samajwadi Party delegation met with the EC on Wednesday, alleging bias and politicization in the posting of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in the 29-Kundarki Assembly constituency of Moradabad district and the Sisamau Assembly constituency of Kanpur district. The delegation claimed that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh was removing Muslim and Yadav officials, including police and civil administration officers, as well as BLOs from districts where the Assembly by-elections are scheduled.
EC’s Request for Information
In a letter sent to the CEO, the EC requested a list of BLOs from the Lok Sabha election and details of those removed before the bypolls. The EC is reviewing these concerns and has promised to investigate the allegations.
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SP’s Formal Complaint
During the meeting with the EC, SP leader Ramgopal Yadav presented a memorandum detailing their allegations against the Uttar Pradesh government. The SP requested the EC ensure equal opportunities for all political parties and candidates in the electoral process.
Additional Complaints from SP
On August 29, Samajwadi Party state president Shyam Lal Pal submitted a memorandum to the CEO, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, complaining about the removal of Muslim BLOs in the Mirzapur by-election area 399-Majhawan Assembly constituency. The memorandum alleged that more than 11 Muslim BLOs were replaced with non-Muslim BLOs, which the SP argued is undemocratic, unconstitutional, and undermines fair elections.
Prior Complaints
The Samajwadi Party had previously raised similar concerns with the CEO regarding the Kundarki and Sisamau Assembly constituencies. Memorandums detailing these complaints were submitted by K.K. Shrivastava, Harischandra Yadav, and Radheshyam Singh.
(WITH INPUTS FROM ANI)
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