UP By-polls | SabrangIndia News Related to Human Rights Thu, 21 Nov 2024 10:43:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://sabrangindia.in/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Favicon_0.png UP By-polls | SabrangIndia 32 32 Voting manipulation and police brutality plague 8 out of 15 by-poll seats; Muslim voters denied their right to vote in UP https://sabrangindia.in/voting-manipulation-and-police-brutality-plague-8-out-of-15-by-poll-seats-muslim-voters-denied-their-right-to-vote-in-up/ Thu, 21 Nov 2024 04:11:45 +0000 https://sabrangindia.in/?p=38883 Voter suppression and manipulation marred 8 out of 15 by-poll seats, with 7 in Uttar Pradesh witnessing blatant violations of fair voting practices and denial of votes to Muslim voters. In Punjab's Dera Baba Nanak, violent clashes erupted between AAP and Congress workers. In UP, police were seen to have brutally attacked voters demanding their right to vote. The ECI, initially a silent spectator, was eventually pressured by the opposition to suspend 7 officers for obstructing voters and verifying ballots.

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]]> A voter turnout of over 50% was recorded in the bypolls for 15 Assembly seats across Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala, and Uttarakhand on Wednesday, November 20, 2024. Especially, voting in the bypolls for nine assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh saw a slow start on Wednesday, with turnout failing to exceed 60% in any constituency. Ghaziabad recorded a particularly low turnout of just 33%. In comparison, the state had a 61.03% turnout in the 2022 Assembly elections.

Voting began at 7 a. m. in constituencies including Katehari, Karhal, Mirapur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan, Sisamau, Khair, Phulpur, and Kundarki, with polls scheduled to close at 5 p. m. By the 5 the 5 p. m. update, voter turnout figures were as follows: Ghaziabad 33.30%, Katehari 56.69%, Khair 46.43%, Kundarki 57.32%, Karhal 53.92%, Majhawan 50.41%, Meerapur 57.02%, Phulpur 43.43%, and Sisamau 49.03%.

Sabrang India reported multiple incidents of voter suppression across Uttar Pradesh’s Meerapur, Kundarki, and Sisamau assembly constituencies on November 20, 2024. As by-elections for 15 seats concluded at 6 pm, 8 out of 15 seats saw blatant violations of voting rights. Particularly troubling were the reports from 7 of the 9 seats in Uttar Pradesh, where Muslim women were allegedly denied their right to vote based on their religious identity. Hundreds of videos surfaced on social media, exposing these violations and raising concerns about the fairness of the elections. Additionally, clashes erupted between AAP and Congress workers in Punjab’s Dera Baba Nanak seat.

Muslim women voters stopped by police, IDs and voting slips illegally verified

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav shared a video from Kakrouli, Meerapur, showing a police officer in riot gear pointing a gun at women. In a post on X, he tagged the Election Commission, urging immediate suspension of the Kakrouli SHO. He accused the officer of preventing voters from casting their votes by threatening them with a revolver.

“Election Commission should immediately suspend SHO of Kakrouli police station area of Meerapur because he is stopping voters from casting their votes by threatening them with a revolver.” He wrote on X

Akhilesh Yadav also shared another video showing burqa-clad women claiming they were being prevented by police from reaching the polling station. In Ibrahimpur, Muslim women faced mistreatment and were denied the right to vote. Expressing concern on his official X handle, Yadav urged the Election Commission to take immediate action against the Station House Officer (SHO) responsible for the incident.

“There should be immediate suspension action against the SHO who used indecent behaviour and language with women to prevent them from casting their votes in Ibrahimpur,” he wrote on X.

Shockingly, voters were reportedly also stopped by police from casting their votes at booth number 65 in the Katehari Assembly of Ambedkar Nagar.

While the legal mandate to check voters’ IDs and slips lies with the presiding officer and their team, as clarified by the Chief Electoral Officer of Uttar Pradesh in an order dated November 19, 2024, police personnel deployed at polling booths in UP blatantly violated this rule on poll day i.e. November 20, 2024. Despite the mandate, police personnel demanded voters, particularly Muslim voters, show their IDs. Many were forcibly turned away and prevented from proceeding to the polling booths, effectively denying them their right to vote.


Viral photo shows cop holding stone in hands

A viral photo from Uttar Pradesh has shocked and raised concerns over police actions, particularly highlighting the selective treatment of Muslim voters. In the troubling photo surfaced on social media, a UP policeman is seen holding a stone, which has sparked questions over the oppressive police action. The photo has drawn attention to alleged illegal practices by the UP Police during by-election duties, with many questioning the force’s conduct and its approach to handling voters during the election process. SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav slammed the UP government over police brutality against voters. He posted on X:

“Oppressive rulers have created such conditions, Giving stones to those meant to protect us.

The country says today, “we don’t want the BJP!”


SP demanded re-polling on Kundarki assembly constituency

On Wednesday, the Samajwadi Party (SP) called for repolling in the Kundarki Assembly seat, alleging fraudulent voting and a deliberate attempt to prevent voters from a specific community from reaching polling stations. Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate, Mohammad Rizwan wrote to the Election Commission, requesting the cancellation of the election

However, Mohammad Rizwan confronted police officers who were checking voter IDs and slips at a barricade near a polling booth. Rizwan lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (ECI), accusing police of misconduct, including physically assaulting polling agents and obstructing voters, particularly in Milak Sikri. He alleged that police actions were aimed at disrupting the election process and intimidating party agents. Voters in Kundarki reported being questioned about their party choice, with those supporting the SP facing abrasive treatment and, in some cases, being denied the right to vote. Rizwan claimed the administration was actively preventing SP supporters from voting.

Rizwan claimed that SP supporters and other voters were subjected to extreme police atrocities, with reports of intimidation and obstruction. According to the candidate, the local administration was actively preventing and threatening Samajwadi Party supporters from exercising their right to vote.

 

 

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A post shared by Haji Mohd Rizwan (@mohdrizwanmla)

Full story can be read here

ECI suspended 7 Policemen in UP over violations

Despite numerous videos circulating on X and other social media platforms, in which Muslim women alleged vote denial based on their religious identity, the Election Commission of India (ECI) initially remained silent. After facing pressure from the opposition, the ECI eventually took action and suspended seven police personnel, including three from Moradabad, two from Kanpur, and two from Muzaffarnagar.

These videos highlighted how voters supporting the Samajwadi Party (SP) were allegedly mistreated by the administration, with claims of rude behavior and intimidation. Many reported being denied the right to vote, particularly those pressing the SP’s cycle button.

It was after Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav accused police of unlawfully checking voter IDs and Aadhaar cards, publicly and repeatedly on ‘X’, formerly twitter,  urging the Election Commission to take action, that the poll body began to address the issue. Yadav’s accusations highlighted the BJP’s alleged influence on the administration to suppress votes and engage in foul play. While the ECI did suspend several officers, its initial inaction on the widespread complaints only fueled doubts about its impartiality.

Additionally, in a statement, Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Ridwa clarified that five police officers have been suspended in response to complaints of irregularities during voting. He emphasised that all voters arriving to cast their votes would undergo ID verification, but this responsibility lies solely with the polling station staff. Police officers are not authorized to check IDs, and any police personnel found performing this task will face strict action.

Punjab records 59.67% voter turnout till 5 PM in 4 Assembly Constituencies

In the Punjab by-polls across 4 assembly constituencies, the overall voter turnout reached an average of 59.67% by 5 PM. The turnout for individual seats was as follows: Dera Baba Nanak recorded 59.8%, Chabbewal (SC) saw 48.0%, Gidderbaha had the highest turnout at 78.1%, and Barnala recorded 52.7%.

While the election proceeded peacefully in most areas, a clash broke out between AAP and Congress workers at the Dera Pathana polling booth in Gurdaspur, creating a brief moment of tension. Despite this, the by-poll remained peaceful.

Palakkad (Kerala) bypoll turnout crosses 50%

With just half an hour remaining before polling stations close in the Palakkad by-election, voter turnout had reached 65.98%, with 1,28,484 votes cast out of 1,94,706 registered voters. Of the 1,00,290 women voters in the constituency, 66,162 have already cast their votes, reflecting active participation in the election process. The final turnout is expected to increase as the voting period concludes.

Kedarnath recorded 56.78 % turnout till 5 PM

As of 5 PM, the voter turnout in the Kedarnath by-election reached 56.78%, according to the Chief Electoral Officer of Uttarakhand. Voting began at 8 a.m. and concluded at 6 p.m.

However, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan criticised the illegal police interference in checking IDs, posting on X, he said that. “There are many credible reports of gross police interference with voting today. Police are preventing minorities from voting under the guise of checking ID cards. How is this permissible @ECISVEEP? Are you allowing @Uppolice to control elections?”

 

Hence, the by-elections for 15 assembly seats across Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala, and Uttarakhand on November 20, 2024, were marred by significant voter suppression and police misconduct. In Uttar Pradesh, 8 out of the 15 seats experienced blatant violations of voting rights, with Muslim women and other voters being denied the right to vote based on their religious identity. The Election Commission, initially silent, eventually suspended seven police officers in response to widespread allegations of illegal ID checks and voter obstruction. Violent clashes between AAP and Congress workers were also reported in Punjab’s Dera Baba Nanak. The low turnout, especially in Uttar Pradesh, raised concerns about the integrity of the election process.

The Election Commission’s delayed response to these violations further undermined public confidence in its impartiality. On November 23, 2024, the results for all 15 by-election seats will be announced, with voter suppression and electoral misconduct continuing to cast a shadow over the legitimacy of the outcomes. The gaze will then be on the integrity of the counting process, especially after serious concerns have been expressed about the concealment of actual voting figures — constituency-wise—by the ECI before counting begins, at 8 am on November 23.

Related:

https://sabrangindia.in/up-by-elections-reports-of-serious-disturbances-and-disruption-of-voters/

https://cjp.org.in/counting-of-votes-and-post-counting-remedies-to-the-victim-candidates-of-a-tainted-election-process/

https://sabrangindia.in/vote-for-democracy-vfd-releases-report-on-the-conduct-of-general-election-2024/

 

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]]> Prayagraj: 11 protesting students arrested, after hundreds lathi-charged on the eve of UP by-polls https://sabrangindia.in/prayagraj-11-protesting-students-arrested-after-hundreds-lathi-charged-on-the-eve-of-up-by-polls/ Wed, 13 Nov 2024 13:02:46 +0000 https://sabrangindia.in/?p=38725 Arrests of 11 students after lathi charge on protesting students at Prayagraj (Allahabad) UP has led to strong protests by the Samajwadi Party and the Congress

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]]> As many as eleven protesting students on the fair conduct of UPSC polls have been arrested as per reports on Wednesday evening, November 13. The Indian Express reports that while supply of water at the protest site has been made scarce, UPPSC aspirants opposing 2-shift exams say ‘na batenge, na hatenge’. Meanwhile media reports also say that students demonstrating against UPPSC’s decision to hold RO-ARO & PCS preliminary exams in 2 shifts claim police have forced eateries, shops at protest site to shut down.

Thousands of Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) aspirants protesting for the third straight day outside the UPPSC office in Prayagraj are struggling to secure necessities, such as food and water reports PTI. Students have been agitating the UPPSC proposal to conduct the review officer or assistant review officer (RO/ARO) and UP provincial civil service (PCS) exams in two shifts. They insist that the multi-shift exams risk unfair normalisation, where scores are adjusted based on variations in test difficulty across shifts. The UPPSC has defended its decision, citing logistical constraints, stating that managing a single shift for 11 lakh aspirants would require significant resources, which are not currently available. According to a source within the UPPSC, the two-shift approach aligns with a June government order mandating multiple shifts for exams with over five lakh registered candidates.

Initially, the protest led to clashes with the police after students gathered at gates 2 and 3 of the UPPSC office premises. Policemen reportedly resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. Despite the hardships, the exam aspirants have held their ground, spending two nights at the site. Many women aspirants who have joined the protest have, so far, not even informed their families about their participation. The police, claiming to “maintain order”, have assigned a demarcated area near the Civil Lines police station for students to protest peacefully. With posters that read “Na batenge na hatenge (We will not be divided nor back down)”, students are echoing Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s slogan, “Batenge toh katenge (Divided we fall)” to reflect their strong sense of solidarity.

The students’ demands have started resonating beyond Prayagraj. In support, UPSC aspirants in Delhi organised a rally Tuesday evening, and similar protests will likely happen in Patna and Jaipur. Many protesters in Prayagraj have travelled from states such as Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi. They shared buses and are now sharing rooms to participate in the movement.

More than 11 lakh candidates will appear for the UPPSC RO/ARO exam, initially scheduled for January 29 and February 2 but postponed following a paper leak. According to present schedules, the Provincial Civil Services (PCS) Preliminary Examination will be conducted over two days, on December 7 and 8, while the Review Officer (RO) and Assistant Review Officer (ARO) Preliminary Examination 2023 will be held in three shifts on December 22 and 23. The UPPSC’s recent notification rescheduled the exam for December and introduced the controversial two-shift format, sparking protests among students who feel the structure disadvantages them.

The protests have drawn attention from heavyweight political leaders, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi even voicing their support for the protesting students. Meanwhile, Congress has sharply criticised the BJP govt in Uttar Pradesh over ‘police action’ against protesting UPPSC students.  Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said it is unfortunate that ‘lathi charge’ was done on students protesting for their demands in Prayagraj.

Condemning the police “highhandedness”, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had also termed the BJP government in the state “anti-youth” and “anti-student”.

The Congress on Tuesday, November 12 alleged that police in Prayagraj lathi-charged students raising their voice against the “arbitrariness” of the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission and claimed that earlier also attempts have been made to suppress the voice of the youth demanding jobs.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said it is unfortunate that “lathi charge” was done on students protesting for their demands in Prayagraj.

The students raising their voice against the “arbitrariness” of the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) should be heard carefully, he said in a post in Hindi on X. “This is not the first time that BJP is trying to suppress the voice of youth in this way. Earlier also, attempts have been made to suppress their voice for demanding jobs or protesting against recruitment scams and paper leaks,” Ramesh claimed. Understanding these problems of the youth, the Congress party had talked about taking concrete initiatives under the Yuva Nyay Guarantee, he said.

Meanwhile in another twist to the lathi charge offensive on Monday night, Congress leader, Prabal Prabhat Sahi has warned of a dire conspiracy around the by-polls scheduled in UP on November 20. Of the nine by-elections to the state assembly, Phoolpur, Majhawan and Katehari are extremely close to Prayagraj (Allahabad) and he expressed fears that the ‘Rampur model’ where the police will be ‘mis’ used to prevent voters from casting their vote (as happened in 2022 in UP) may repeat. This video released by Congress leader Prabal Pratap Sahi late on November 11, Monday may be seen here

Is the lathi charge of thousands of students at Prayagraj a preparation for a repeat of the Rampur model where voters will be prevented from exercising their vote of November 20?

Related:

Police crackdown on student protesters in Delhi, Kolkata

Student Protest against the RSS invites Police Brutality

A month after student protests, BHU yet to do much to ensure women safety

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]]> UP By-Polls: In Kairana and Noorpur, It’s United Opposition Versus BJP Again https://sabrangindia.in/polls-kairana-and-noorpur-its-united-opposition-versus-bjp-again/ Tue, 22 May 2018 07:03:43 +0000 http://localhost/sabrangv4/2018/05/22/polls-kairana-and-noorpur-its-united-opposition-versus-bjp-again/ After the Gorakhpur-Phulpur by-polls, the ruling BJP will face another tough battle against the opposition alliance of SP and RLD, with support from BSP and Congress.   In the upcoming by-elections in Uttar Pradesh at the Lok Sabha constituency of Kairana and the assembly constituency of Noorpur, scheduled for 28 May, the fight is between […]

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]]> After the Gorakhpur-Phulpur by-polls, the ruling BJP will face another tough battle against the opposition alliance of SP and RLD, with support from BSP and Congress.
Yogi Adityanath
 
In the upcoming by-elections in Uttar Pradesh at the Lok Sabha constituency of Kairana and the assembly constituency of Noorpur, scheduled for 28 May, the fight is between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the united alliance of opposition parties — the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD). This alliance of opposition parties includes support from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress.

Apart from these two seats, the election commission will be conducting by-polls on the same day for three more Lok Sabha seats and nine more assembly seats in various states.

For the Kairana Member of Parliament (MP) seat, the BJP has fielded Mriganka Singh, daughter of late MP Hukum Singh, against the RLD candidate Tabassum Hasan. For the Noorpur Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) seat, the BJP candidate Avani Singh is pitted against SP’s Naim-ul-Hasan. The two seats fell vacant this February with the sudden demise of Kairana’s BJP MP Hukum Singh, who died due to prolonged illness, and Noorpur’s BJP MLA Lokendra Singh, who died in a road accident.

The Uttar Pradesh by-polls are have drawn attention, more so because these elections are being held after the by-polls for the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats, where the BJP lost. Both the seats had been vacated by the BJP’s top ranks — Gorakhpur by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Phulpur by deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. In both seats, the SP-BSP alliance candidates comfortably defeated the BJP candidates in March this year.

Kairana Lok Sabha Constituency
In 2014 general elections, Hukum Singh emerged victorious by getting more than 50 per cent of the votes that were polled in the Kairana Lok Sabha constituency. However, in the 2017 assembly elections, the saffron party’s vote share fell to 38.24 per cent, although the party won four out of five assembly segments of the Lok Sabha constituency. In one Kairana assembly constituency, Tabassum Hasan’s son and SP candidate Nahid Hasan won against the BJP. Tabassum Hasan was the BSP MP from Kairana from 2009 to 2014 before she migrated to the SP. Under a pact between the SP and the RLD, Tabassum has recently taken the primary membership of the RLD and is contesting the election with the RLD symbol.

Historically, caste and farmer’s mandate have been the two main factors impacting Kairana’s electoral outcome. A closer look at these factors suggests the RLD candidate’s upper hand over the BJP.  Of nearly 16 lakh voters in the constituency, 5.5 lakh are Muslims, 2.5 lakh are Dalits (mostly Jatavs), 1.5 lakh are Jats, 2 lakh are Kashyaps, 1.4 lakh are Gujjars, 1.2 lakh are Saini and the remaining are constituted by voters from the communities of Brahmins, Banias and Rajputs.

While the RLD and  the BSP have a stronghold on Jats and Dalits, respectively, the BJP is aiming for the upper castes — the vote banks of Brahmins, Banias and Rajputs and that of the Gujjars. Both Mriganka Singh and Tabassum are Gujjars, except that the former is Hindu and the latter is Muslim.

On the other side, considering the BJP’s track record in fomenting communal riots in the region, the majority Muslim vote bank nonetheless could choose against the BJP.

Sugarcane cultivation being a predominant occupation in the constituency, the opposition parties are alleging that the government failed to clear the pending farmer’s dues with the sugar mills. All the six sugar mills in the constituency, which reportedly bought sugarcane worth Rs 1,778.49 crore at the UP government’s State Advised Price (SAP) of Rs 315-325 per quintal, have pending arrears (yet to be paid) of Rs 807.22 crore, as of 18 May.

Even though the winning candidate would serve as MP for less than a year, the electoral outcome is crucial for both the BJP and the opposition parties for deciding upon their tactics for the upcoming 2019 general elections.

Noorpur Assembly Constituency
In 2017 Noorpur assembly elections, BJP candidate Lokendra Singh secured 79,172 votes and won over SP’s candidate Naim Ul Hasan, who got 66,436 votes. However, with the BSP and the RJD parties having strong base in the constituency, the re-contesting united opposition candidate Naim-ul-Hasam has more chances of emerging victorious. Of the total 3 lakh voters, an estimated 1.15 lakh voters are Muslims. This is followed by 50,000 Dalits, 40,000 from the Chauhan community, 20,000 from the Saini community, 15,000 from the Jat community, 10,000 from the Paal community while about 6,000 voters are Yadavs.

Courtesy: Newsclick.in

 

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