Five U.P. police officers suspended on SP complaint during bypolls in 15 Assembly seats across four States

Election Commission directs suspension of police personnel after SP complains against alleged attempts to prevent some Muslim voters from casting their ballots; minor clashes reported in U.P., Punjab 

Five police officers were suspended in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday (November 20, 2024) after Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav complained that they were using indecent behaviour and language with burqa-clad women to prevent them from casting their votes. He demanded a repoll in the Kundraki constituency.

Apart from U.P., bypolls were also held in six Assembly seats in Punjab, Kerala, and Uttarakhand. Stray incidents of violence were reported in at least two seats, one each in Punjab and U.P.

This is the first poll in Uttar Pradesh after the general election, where the BJP’s Lok Sabha tally in the State fell from 66 seats in 2019 to 36, while the SP-led INDIA bloc won 43 seats. The bypolls in these nine Assembly seats are being seen as a critical barometer to assess whether the SP has maintained its gains.

‘Police checking IDs’

Mr. Yadav posted a video on X showing Muslim women complaining that they had not been allowed to vote, and called for the immediate suspension of a Station House Officer in Ibrahimpur who allegedly “used indecent behaviour and language with women to prevent them from casting their votes”. In another post, he said, “All police officers who are checking voter cards and Aadhaar IDs should be immediately suspended on the basis of video evidence. Police have no right to check Aadhaar ID cards or identity cards.”

Acting on his complaints, the Election Commission ordered the suspension of five police personnel. Uttar Pradesh Chief Election Officer Navdeep Rinwa said that two police personnel were suspended in Kanpur, along with two more in Muzaffarnagar, and one in Moradabad.

‘Check IDs of burqa-clad women’

The BJP also sought the intervention of the Commission in order to check the identity of burqa-wearing women voters, claiming their IDs did not match with their faces. BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla said the SP and its chief are scared of losing the bypolls.

“The SP has lost trust in the voters. That is why they have gathered external disruptive elements in the bypoll areas. According to several media reports, the faces of women wearing burqas are not matching with their identity cards,” Mr. Shukla said.

The Election Commission’s issued an update at 5 p.m., showing the voter turnout in each constituency: Ghaziabad (33.3%), Katehari (56.7%), Khair (46.4%), Kundarki (57.3%), Karhal (53.9%), Majhawan (50.4%), Meerapur (57%), Phulpur (43.4%), and Sisamau (49%).

Minor clashes

A confrontation between two groups led to some stone-pelting in Kakroli village during voting for the Meerapur Assembly bypoll. Senior Superintendent of Police Abhishek Singh said police promptly reached the spot and dispersed the crowd using “mild force”.

In neighbouring Uttarakhand, a voter turnout of 56.8% was recorded in the Kedarnath Assembly bypoll till 5 p.m. The Kedarnath seat in Rudraprayag district fell vacant after the death of BJP MLA Shaila Rani Rawat in July. 

In Punjab, a voter turnout of 59.7% was recorded till 5 p.m. in the bypolls for four Assembly seats: Gidderbaha (78.1%), Dera Baba Nanak (59.8%), Barnala (52.7%), and Chabbewal (48%).

A minor clash took place between supporters of the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress at Dera Pathana village in the Dera Baba Nanak constituency. Workers of both parties engaged in heated arguments. A heavy police force was deputed to the site to defuse the situation.

In Kerala, there was a turnout of 54.6% in the Palakkad Assembly byelection, which saw a triangular contest between the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Congress, and the BJP.

Votes will be counted on November 23 for these bypolls.

(With inputs from PTI)

Published - November 20, 2024 11:08 pm IST