[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath declares BJP will win all 230 civic bodies that will go to polls in three phases, Samajwadi Party alleges EVM tampering

Amid rumours of large scale EVM tampering, reports of faulty voting machines and political clashes largely between supporters of the BJP and Samajwadi Party, the first phase of Uttar Pradesh’s 230 civic bodies began on Wednesday.

While polling for civic bodies in 24 districts of the country’s most populous state took place on Wednesday, votes will be cast for local bodies in 25 districts on November 26 and for the remaining 26 districts on November 29. Results for the civic body elections will be declared on December 1.

The civic polls across Uttar Pradesh are being viewed as the first pan-state popularity test of the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP since it stormed to power in the state with an absolute majority earlier this year. That the stakes are high for Adityanath and the saffron combine can be gauged from the fact that the chief minister has been personally campaigning for his party’s local body candidates across the state even though the result of the election will have no bearing on the stability of his government.

On Wednesday, districts that went to polls were Shamli, Meerut, Hapur, Bijnore, Badaun, Hathras, Kasganj, Agra, Kanpur, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Chitrakoot, Kaushambi, Pratapgarh, Unnao, Hardoi, Amethi, Faizabad, Gonda, Basti, Azamgarh, Ghazipur, Sonebhadra and Adityanath’s home district and political bastion of Gorakhpur.

After casting his vote in Gorakhpur soon after polling commenced, Adityanath declared: “BJP will get massive victory in these elections… The BJP candidates will win on all seats.”[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]While Adityanath then left for Varanasi and Allahabad to campaign for the remaining phases of the elections, reports soon began to emerge from across the districts that witnessed polling on Wednesdayof faulty electronic voting machines being used in the poll-process. At polling booths in districts like Agra, Kanpur, Unnao. Shahjahanpur, etc. several voters complained that the votes being cast by them were being polled in favour of the BJP irrespective of whichever party’s candidate they were voting for.

Large scale incidents of the voting process being delayed on account of EVMs not functioning were also reported from across Uttar Pradesh.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]Interestingly, controversial BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj – known best for his hate-speeches against Muslims – was left fuming in Unnao after he found that his name was missing from the voter list at the polling booth in Gadankheda block of the district, forcing him to return without exercising his franchise.

Alleging that the absence of his name from the voter list was a “conspiracy”, Sakshi Maharaj told reporters in Unnao: “The district magistrate (DM) is new but the additional district magistrate (ADM), who is also looking after the election process, was posted under the previous (Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party) government…  it is not a mere lapse that the name of the sitting member of parliament is missing from the list… it indicates some conspiracy.”

But Sakshi Maharaj wasn’t the only high-profile politician who found his name missing from the voter rolls. His predecessor, former Unnao MP Annu Tandon too faced the same fate and was forced to lodge a complaint with the district administration.

Meanwhile, in Meerut district three people were detained for trying to forcibly enter a polling booth. There was also a ruckus at ward number 89 in Meerut after voters alleged that EVMs were registering votes only in favour of the BJP. However, additional State Election Commissioner Ved Prakash Verma refuted these allegations.

Police had to resort to lathicharge as result of chaos in Meerut’s Summer Garden ward that was caused by a spat between BJP and Bahujan Samaj Party leaders.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday evening, as Adityanath reached the state’s Balia district to address an election rally, controversy erupted as a woman seated in the audience was asked to unveil her burqa by security personnel present at the rally. Despite video footage clearly showing the incident, local police authorities denied the occurrence of the such incident and claimed that while there were no orders to the police to ask Muslim women to remove their burqa during Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s rally, directives had indeed been given to ensure that no ‘black cloth’ is waved at the chief minister by the public.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]