Akhilesh Yadav accuses UP CM of rigging panchayat chairman polls

Lucknow:Samajwadi Party's national president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister has crossed limits in rigging the election of District Panchayat chairman.

"BJP's undemocratic conduct has posed a threat to the Constitutional institutions. Hijacking Samajwadi Party candidates and preventing from filing nominations by the administration along with the BJP leaders, proves their real intention," he alleged.

The former UP CM said Samajwadi Party leaders are being harassed by filing fake cases against them.

"It is a matter of sorrow and anguish that the officials remained mute spectators instead of curbing those obstructing the election process. The Election Commission also remained helpless and the Raj Bhavan has also observed silence," he charged.

Citing some examples, Mr Yadav said the BJP forcibly registered its victory in Balrampur district by arresting the Samajwadi Party candidate and snatching the nomination papers. Throttling democracy, Samajwadi Party candidate was not allowed to file nomination for the post of District Panchayat chairman in Lalitpur.

In Gorakhpur, unwanted elements of BJP captured the main gate of the Collectorate. The BJP kept guard at every point leading to the nomination room. It is shameful to have such immoral conduct in the Chief Minister's home district, he charged.

Samajwadi Party candidate was stopped from nomination in Jhansi. Despite the majority number of Zilla Panchayat members in favor of the SP, the administration here remained indifferent to the undemocratic conduct. In Varanasi, the SP candidate's nomination paper was rejected on the strength of power.

In the presence of the police, the BJP candidate tried to kidnap the SP candidate in Basti. SP candidate and proposers were kidnapped before nomination in Ghaziabad. Former SP MLA was fatally attacked in Bareilly. Instead of stopping rigging in elections, police and district officials of many districts have been seen playing their active role in it.

"The Chief Minister and the BJP leadership may get applause today by forcibly converting their defeat in the election of district panchayat members into victory by illegal way, but they will have to face the assembly elections tomorrow," SP president said.

Mr Yadav claimed people are sitting ready to answer them in their own language. "The Samajwadi Party will come in 2022 by winning 350 seats in the assembly and the BJP will be forced to sit in the opposition by being reduced to a few seats," he claimed.(UNI)