Stray violence, rigging mark 60 pc voting in UP civic poll

Lucknow, Oct 31 (UNI) Stray incidents of rigging, bogus voting and violence, in which over 60 persons were injured, today marked the polling in second phase of civic poll in Uttar Pradesh, where about 60 per cent of the total 9.1 million electorate exercised their franchise to elect 11 mayors and 900 corporators.

Fifteen persons, including five policemen and four journalists, were injured in a group clash followed by police lathicharge in Lisan Gate locality of Meerut, Home Secretary Arun Sinha told reporters here this evening. The incident took place at Capital Scholl polling booth over alleged fake voting.

According to a report reaching here at the state headquarters, some ruling Samajwadi Party workers indulged in firing and bombing with BJP workers during polling in Varanasi, where over 50 per cent voter turnout was reported.

At least two people were wounded at Chetganj in Varanasi, when supporters of SP leader Dinesh Pal 'Dinu' hurled bombs at supporters of former UP minister and BJP MLA Ajay Rai.

BJP workers led by Rai himself retaliated and indulged in firing with SP workers near the SP (City) Office. The BJP workers also set afire a makeshift SP office and three motorcycles.

Getting the information, district and police officials reached the spot alongwith heavy security force. Rai later staged a demonstration before Chetganj police sation seeking action against the SP leader and his supporters.

Earlier, Rai was attacked by a group of SP workers in Mahamandal locality, but following timely police action, the incident was prevented turning violent.

Minor clashes between Apna Dal, JD(U), Congress and SP workers were also reported from Mehmoorganj, Bajardiha, Reori Talao and Machodhari and Bulanala localities.

JD(U) worker Mehfooz Alam 'Munna', who engaged in verbal dual with SP workers, was lathicharged by police in Reori Talao area, where the car of former deputy mayor of Varanasi and BJP leader Sanjay Rai was ransacked by a mob. He staged a dharna demanding immediate arrest of the culprits.

Meanwhile, Varanasi District Magistrate Rajiv Agrawal said around 52 per cent polling was reported for the post of Varanasi mayor and 90 municipal corporators of Varanasi Nagar Nigam. He informed 65 per cent polling was reported in the election to Nagar Palika in neighbouring Ram Nagar.

Similar reports of violence were received from Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra and Jhansi.

Polling in 11 nagar nigams (municipal corporations) of Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Aligarh, Allahabad, Meerut, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Bareilly, Jhansi and Moradabad took place today. The only remaining nagar nigam of Ghaziabad goes to poll on November 3 for the third phase.

Polling in nagar palika parishads (municipalities) in 14 districts of four divisions of Azamgarh, Varanasi, Gorakhpur and Mirzapur in eastern UP also took place. Earlier, it was postponed on October 28 due to 'Chhath' festival.

Repoll has been ordered at two booths in Moradabad and six each in Agra and Lucknow, Additional State Election Commissioner Vinay Priya Dubey told reporters here this evening.

He said the SEC had received 32 complaints of booth capturing and 37 complaints of fake voting -- which were being probed into.

Meanwhile, repoll had also been ordered at 66 more booths, where polling had taken place on October 28 in the first phase.

BJP and Congress, the main opposition parties in UP, have come out with allegations of misuse of official machinery and large scale irregularities by the ruling Samajwadi Party.

The SEC has asked the district authorities to look into the complaints lodged by the opposition parties.

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