lok-sabha-elections

Updated: Apr 30, 2019 09:28 IST

Braving scorching heat, voters exercised their right to franchise in 13 constituencies of Uttar Pradesh in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections amid reports of EVM malfunctioning and minor clashes from several areas.

Seats which went to polls on Monday included Shahjahanpur (SC), Kheri, Hardoi (SC), Misrikh (SC), Unnao, Farrukhabad, Etawah (SC), Kannauj, Kanpur, Akbarpur, Jalaun (SC), Jhansi and Hamirpur. A total of 152 candidates were in the fray in this round of polling.

Prominent candidates whose fate were sealed in the EVMs include Dimple Yadav (Kannauj), Salman Khursheed (Farrukhabad), Sriprakash Jaiswal (Kanpur) and Sakshi Maharaj (Unnao).

On four out of 13 seats -- Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Misrikh and Etawah -- the BJP has named new candidates. The BSP has fielded six candidates, while the SP seven. The Congress has fielded candidates on all seats, except Kannauj. Technical snags in electronic voting machines (EVM) disturbed polling at several booths in almost all the constituencies. SP president Akhilesh Yadav posted tweets complaining to the Election Commission regarding technical problems in EVMs. The highest number of complaints of EVM malfunctioning were reported from booth number 189 in Kannauj.

Polling remained suspended in Kannuaj for over two hours due to EVM snags. At booth number 186 in Chhibramau, EVMs were replaced thrice.

Similar complaints were received from Rasoolabad, Bidhuna and Kannauj Sadar. At booth number 224 in Akbarpur, polling could not start till 8.30 am as the EVM was out of order.

In Kannauj, a representative of Samajwadi Party candidate Dimple Yadav, Guddu Saxena, complained to observers that the district administration was not allowing SP leaders and workers to move out of their houses. He complained that security personnel had been deployed outside the houses of SP leaders before polling began. At a polling booth in RS School in Barra (Kanpur), two voters got agitated when the EVM did not work. Superintendent of police (south) Ravina Tyagi rushed to the spot and pacified the agitated voters. The EVM at the booth was also replaced.

Voters of Mohammadpur Narval village in Akbarpur boycotted the elections claiming that they did not receive the benefit of government welfare schemes.

In Kanpur, BJP workers clashed with police and allegedly threatened circle officer, Gwaltoli, Janardan Dubey and his subordinates posted on election duty. Dubey said some BJP agents forcibly tried to enter a polling booth in Parmat primary school and when they were stopped they threatened him.

“A case has been registered against BJP leader Suresh Awasthi and six others in this connection,” district magistrate, Kanpur, Vijay Vishwas Pant said.

In Pali area of Kanpur, about 1,300 voters, including the chairman of Pali nagar panchayat Deepa Awasthi, could not vote as their names were missing from the voter list. The area had the total of 2,500 voters out of which 1,300 names were missing. The voters got agitated when, after standing in a queue for over an hour, they were informed that their names were not on the voter list.

They shouted slogans against the district and poll officials. The nagar panchayat lodged a complaint with the district magistrate who assured stern action against the officers concerned.

Meanwhile, women, first-time voters and the elderly voted enthusiastically.

Sushil Bajpai, a first-time voter from Kanpur, said: “I had been eagerly waiting for the polling day. I feel so privileged in casting my vote. I hope that the new government who would work for the bright future of the young generation.”

Rajnikant Sharma. another first-time voter from Kanpur said, “I felt sad when I could not cast my vote during assembly elections, as I was not in the country. But this time, I am happy to cast my vote. I voted at 7.10 am and was the first to at my polling booth.” In Kanpur, 100-year-old Manwati Arya, a founder member of the Azad Hind Fauj, also exercised her franchise. She arrived at the polling booth on a wheel chair.

WOMAN INJURED IN SKIRMISH

A woman sustained injury on her arm when she was allegedly shot at following a skirmish between two groups during polling in Shahjahanpur, police said.

Circle officer Mangal Singh Rawat said the injured woman was identified as Sushila, 45. “It has not yet been ascertained if she was injured by a gunshot or something else. We have deployed a police quick reaction team at the polling booth. The injured woman was rushed to a nearby hospital from where she was discharged after first aid,” Rawat said.

In Kheri, polling remained peaceful barring a few incidents of EVM snags, which were timely attended. People boycotted elections in Chaukhariya, Godhiya and Basaha Bhood villages. DM, Kheri, Shailendra Kumar Singh and SP Poonam remained on their toes and also visited model booths.