Amid Samajwadi Party alleging massive rigging, manipulation, violence by the BJP, the ruling party claimed a “big victory.”
In shocking incidents in Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, during the Block Panchayat local polls, sticks, stones, guns, and bombs were hurled and women were assaulted, and in one particular event, a Samajwadi Party lady member was molested with her sari torn off by the BJP party workers BJP workers during the filling of nominations for local polls.
Mayhem and chaos are escalating in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2022 elections early next year and people are demanding for President’s Rule in Uttar Pradesh.
The counting of votes for the 476 posts of block panchayat chiefs had ended after the polling was over at 3 pm and BJP appeared to be winning and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said at a news conference, “In the elections for Block Panchayat Chiefs, the BJP is winning more than 635 seats with its allies and supporters. This number will increase further after the final results are out.”
Unfortunately, there were reports of violence from the Hamirpur district where opposition Samajwadi Party workers alleged that BJP activists attacked them with sticks and stopped their voters from reaching the polling booths. Policemen were also beaten up in the clash and vehicles damaged.
In Hathras, a Samajwadi Party leader was injured after being shot. In Chandauli district, BJP and Samajwadi workers clashed, with incidents of stone-throwing and motorcycles being vandalized. The police had to use sticks to beat back the fighting political workers.
Similar incidents were reported in at least 17 districts including Etawah, Ayodhya, Prayagraj, Aligarh, Pratapgarh, Sonbhadra districts. In Aligarh, a BJP leader was seen in a video yelling at a magistrate. The police and the administration have been criticized heavily for failing to stop the violence that erupted long before voting day.
Many Samajwadi leaders posted videos of the clashes and accused the BJP of influencing the voting with attacks. In one of the videos, a senior police officer in Etawah was heard complaining to a senior that he was slapped by supporters of the BJP.
“These people are throwing bricks and stones sir. They even slapped me. They brought bombs as well. People from BJP. MLA and district chief,” Superintendent of Police (City) Prashant Kumar is heard saying in the video that has been extensively shared. Clashes were reported in many places in UP amid voting.
Opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, and the Congress, have accused the ruling BJP of overriding democratic ethics and principles and attacked the BJP for showing “utter disrespect” to women during the election process.
They accused the BJP government of misusing power and official machinery in the panchayat elections.
BSP chief Mayawati in a tweet in Hindi on Saturday said, “In the reign of the present BJP government in UP, there is no rule of law, but a jungle raj is prevailing there, under which there has been widespread violence in the panchayat polls, and there was indecent behavior with a woman in Lakhimpur Kheri.”
Earlier this week, the BJP secured a huge victory in another set of local body elections in Uttar Pradesh, which was a big setback for Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party. The BJP took 67 seats in the Zila panchayat chairperson election where 75 seats were at stake. Mr. Yadav’s party won only five seats.
Similar violence was witnessed during the Bengal elections.