Lok Sabha bypoll: Mainpuri records 54.37% turnout, Akhilesh Yadav claims voters stopped

Amid Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav’s allegations of bias against the district administration and the police, the polling process was by and large peaceful for the Mainpuri Lok Sabha by-election on Monday. A moderate 54.37% votes were polled, according to a PTI report.

Braving the early morning chill, voters turned up to exercise their franchise in the bypoll necessitated after the death of Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on October 10 at age of 82. Mulayam Singh Yadav had won the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat five times while BJP has never been successful there.

In a press statement, additional director general of police, Law and Order, Prashant Kumar polling in Mainpuri, Rampur and Khatauli was peaceful, free and fair.

On the direction of the Election Commission of India adequate central armed police force and civil police were deployed in three constituencies, he added. There was no report of any untoward incident during polling, he added.

Polling began at 7am with six candidates, including Samajwadi Party candidate Dimple Yadav and BJP nominee Raghuraj Singh Shakya, in the race.

As many as 17.42 lakh (1.74 million) voters were eligible to exercise their franchise at 1756 polling booths in five assembly segments.

The segments of Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat include Kisni, Karhal, Bhongaon and Mainpuri City in Mainpuri district and Jaswant Nagar in Etawah district.

Mainpuri, which is yet to have a woman MP, saw a handsome turnout of women voters. The polling percentage was 7.08 % by 9am which rose to 43.93 % by 3pm. The maximum turnout was witnessed in Jaswant Nagar assembly segment (47.53%) followed by Karhal (47.23%) both held by the SP.

Voter turnout was 42 % in Bhongaon and 40.1% in Mainpuri City. Both have BJP MLAs. Kisni (SP) had recorded 42.8% polling by 3pm.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav is the Karhal MLA while his uncle Shivpal Yadav represents Jaswant Nagar in the assembly.

Uttar Pradesh tourism minister Jaiveer Singh is the BJP MLA from Mainpuri City and former minister Ram Naresh Agnihotri is a second-time MLA from Bhongaon. .

“More than 20,000 security personnel, including those from central paramilitary forces, PAC and state police, were deployed for free and fair polling for Mainpuri Lok Sabha bypoll on Monday. There has been no report of violence, clash or disturbance in the district,” said Mainpuri superintendent of police Kamlesh Dixit on Monday afternoon.

He denied allegations about police misleading central forces or acting with bias, as claimed by SP president Akhilesh Yadav.

“We are here to ensure a free and fair poll. We are ensuring strict compliance with norms laid by the Election Commission. Observers from Election Commission are keeping an eye on election proceedings and there has been no bias on the part of police deployed in Mainpuri,” Kamlesh Dixit said.

On the other hand, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, addressing the media after casting his vote at Saifai in Etawah district, said, “The district administration in Mainpuri is acting at the behest of ruling party. It seems police have been briefed not to allow SP workers to vote in Mainpuri and Rampur.”

“Police are biased since campaigning and were deployed to stop party supporters from coming to our meetings. Central forces deployed are misled by local police as officials in Lucknow are monitoring these by-elections,” he added.

“Things are worse in Rampur, forcing us to seek deployment of the army during the election process and check illegal designs of local police there. The SP supporters are being threatened, abused and attacked in the by-election. The BJP won the panchayat election by such goondaism when BJP workers created a ruckus while wearing red caps to malign the Samajwadi Party,” Yadav alleged.

“The Mainpuri district magistrate has handed over his CUG number to staff and is paying no heed to complaints in Mainpuri. We have no choice but to seek help from the Election Commission but it seems to be in deep slumber and is silent over all these malpractices and all this is not good for the health of democracy,” Yadav said.

Samajwadi Party candidate Dimple Yadav, who was also present during the press conference, said, “Casting of vote is the constitutional right of citizens and they should be allowed to vote but the Mainpuri police and administration are biased against Samajwadi Party workers. Yet, committed to Mulayam Singh Yadav (netaji), voters in Mainpuri will ensure the SP’s victory despite the odds.”

Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) president Shivpal Yadav, Akhilesh’s uncle and Jaswant Nagar MLA, after casting his vote at Saifai said that BJP candidate Raghuraj Singh Shakya will lose his deposit and ‘bahu’ Dimple Yadav will win by a landslide margin as voters in Mainpuri know the development out carried by netaji.

“The BJP is sabotaging the Lok Sabha bypoll, The district administration and the police conducted raids on the residences of Samajwadi Party workers. We are being monitored by drones at our homes. Atrocities are unleashed on SP workers and this is the murder of democracy,” he added.

In reply, deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya had earlier in the day tweeted that, wary of defeat, the Samajwadi Party was looking for excuses and was thus making allegations about misuse of administration.