The ECI has warned Uttar Pradesh officials to ensure that the ongoing by-elections take place without any dubious activities of voter suppression and malpractice. So far, seven policemen have been suspended for violating voting guidelines on allegations from the Samajwadi Party.
The controversy began when SP chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the police officers of illegally checking voter IDs and not letting certain communities vote. He appealed to the election body and even to the Supreme Court to take action based on video evidence of these irregularities.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar directed state election officers to take prompt action on complaints and not to deny an eligible voter his/her vote. “Biased attitudes at voting stations will not be tolerated. Guilty officials will be dealt with strictly, the ECI declared. The commission also made it mandatory to tag complainants on social media with developments relating to the actions taken.
Of those suspended are two each from Kanpur and Muzaffarnagar and three from Moradabad. District election officers cross-checked complaints and verified instances of wrongdoing, after which the suspensions were effected.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav welcomed the action, urging voters who were allegedly prevented to come back and vote. “Nefarious officials will not be spared,” he assured, saying video evidence would prove guilty parties accountable.
Simultaneously, the BJP reacts to the claims, alleging that in Muzaffarnagar, people used fake IDs to vote and that voters covered under burqa are not being properly cross-checked. The party demanded increased verification in sensitive locations.
The bypolls for nine assembly seats, including Ghaziabad, Meerapur, and Karhal, have seen a voter turnout of 31.21% by 1 PM. Some minor incidents of violence were reported, especially stone-pelting in Meerapur, where the police were called in to use mild force to disperse crowds
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