Violence mars UP local bodies polls; high voter turnout recorded

Lucknow, Oct 28 (UNI) Several incidents of violence today marred the phase I of the three-tier urban local bodies elections in Uttar Pradesh which otherwise recorded a high voter turnout.

The State Election Commision and the state police election cell said separately that several cases of violence were reported from most of the districts which went to poll today.

The voter turnout, which was a moderate 32 per cent till early afternoon, shot up to 65 per cent when the polling came to an end.

In Muzaffarnagar, Muzaffar Rana, a ruling Samajwadi Party activist was shot dead, while a Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) activist got injured in violence during polling. While SP and RLD are allies in the ruling dispensation, the latter had fielded candidates in western UP against SP.

The incident occurred when two groups belonging to SP and RLD clashed during the polling in Kidwai Nagar locality this afternoon.

Additional police force had been deployed in the area, official sources said.

Meanwhile in the state capital, police arrested SP leader Arun Shanker Shukla alias Anna Maharaj for manhandling an Independent candidate Atul Jain yesterday. Jain and his supporters had yesterday staged a dharna outside the SSP residence seeking Anna's arrest.

The Aliganj area of Etah district witnessed violence when a clash between two groups left at least four people injured, including a police circle officer (CO) and a constable. Sources said the district BJP president was also injured in the clash.

Police opened fire in air to disperse the mob after it torched two police vehicles.

Police sources here said the clash broke out between the ruling Samajwadi Party and BJP supporters over forceful voting by a candidate of the ruling party.

A report from Siddharthnagar said election to elect members of the Nagar mahapalika was cancelled in the Shekh Nagar Ward today as the ballot paper did not carry the poll symbol of one of the contestants. The election would be held on November 3 now.

In Balrampur district too, voting in booth 19 of ward 17 was cancelled as incorrect ballot papers were distributed.

In Pratapgarh district, 26 fake voters, including 9 women were arrested in the Kotwali police station area. A case has been registered against them.

A sub-inspector in charge of police election cell of Siddharthnagar district was suspended as he failed to prepare identity cards for cops to be deployed on poll duty. Rajesh Kumar Dwivedi was suspended yesterday by the district police chief.

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