UP byelections see 49.3% turnout, 5 cops suspended for flouting norms

About 49.3 per cent voters turned up to cast their votes in the bypolls to nine Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. The state had recorded an overall turnout of 61.03 per cent in the 2022 Assembly elections.

Voting started at 7 am in Katehari, Karhal, Mirapur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan, Sisamau, Khair, Phulpur and Kundarki seats and continued till 5 pm.

According to the Election Commission, the approximate voter turnout till 5 pm was 49.3 per cent. In Ghaziabad, polling percentage was recorded at 33.3 per cent, Katehari (56.9 per cent), Khair (46.3 per cent), Kundarki (57.7 per cent), Karhal (54.1 per cent), Majhawan (50.41 per cent), Meerapur (57.1 per cent), Phulpur (43.43 per cent) and Shisamau (49.1 per cent).

Meanwhile, five police personnel were suspended and many others removed from poll duty in the state for flouting Election Commission’s guidelines and stopping electors from casting votes in the ongoing Assembly bypolls, officials said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Election Officer Navdeep Rinwa said five police personnel on poll duty have been suspended. “This includes two each in Kanpur and Muzaffarnagar and one in Moradabad. We take note of all complaints and get them verified immediately after which action is taken,” he added.

The action by the poll authority came amid complaints by opposition parties, mainly the Samajwadi Party, that people from a particular community were being prevented from casting their vote. SP president Akhilesh Yadav urged the EC to suspend all police officers who were checking voter cards and Aadhaar IDs, based on video evidence.

Dalit woman ‘killed’ over voting

• A Dalit woman (23) was found dead here in a field near Kanjara village on Wednesday morning.
• Her family has alleged that she was killed as she refused to vote in favour of the Samajwadi Party in the Karhal Assembly bypoll.
• Her father alleged Prashant Yadav of Tapa ki Nagaria abducted her around 12 pm on Tuesday and later poisoned her to death with the help of Dr Mohan Katheria.
• Both the accused Dr Mohan Katheria and Prashant Yadav named in the FIR have been arrested,” the police said.
• The BJP accused the SP of “creating an atmosphere of terror” in its bastion.
• Meanwhile, SP president Akhilesh Yadav said it was a conspiracy to defame the Samajwadi Party by the BJP