Bypolls: Voting picks up after sluggish start, stone pelting reported in UP constituency

New Delhi: An average voter turnout of 20 per cent was recorded in the first four hours of voting in the bypolls to 15 assembly seats spread across Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala and Uttarakhand on Wednesday amid an incident of stone pelting in a village in UP's Meerapur and allegations of police personnel deterring voters from casting their ballot.

Voting for bypolls in nine assembly seats of Uttar Pradesh picked up pace after a sluggish start, with over 20 per cent voters turning up to exercise their franchise by 11 am.

An EC update showed 12.56 per cent turnout in Ghaziabad, Katehari (24.28 per cent), Khair (19.18 per cent), Kundarki (28.54 per cent), Karhal (20.71 per cent), Majhawan (20.41 per cent), Meerapur (26.18 per cent), Phulpur (17.68 per cent), Sisamau (15.91 per cent).

An incident of stone pelting was reported in Kakroli village during voting for the Meerapur assembly bypoll following a confrontation between two groups.

Senior Superintendent of Police Abhishek Singh told reporters that police promptly reached the spot and dispersed the crowd using "mild force".

"The situation was brought under control, and voting continues peacefully," Singh added. It was not immediately clear what caused the confrontation.

The All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) candidate Mohammad Arshad told reporters that polling percentage in Kakroli area was low.

"The police are harassing voters, not allowing them to step out of their house. They are behaving like enemies of the people," he alleged.

"This is not a people's election, this is government's election," he claimed, adding his party workers were being detained by the police.

SP candidate Sumbul Rana also alleged that police were harassing voters in the name of checking their identification cards.

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) candidate Mithlesh Pal told reporters that she has been informed about people from outside the constituency being called in for "bogus voting".

"These people have been accommodated in Madrasas and schools," she alleged.

Pal also claimed that bogus voting was being done by "women in burqa".

On SP president Akhilesh Yadav's remark that policemen should not check ID cards of voters, Pal said they must definitely check it to prevent bogus voting.

"All this is happening because of the 'flexible attitude' of the police. We have made a complaint but the police are unable to do anything at the moment," she charged.

Both the SP and the BJP sought the intervention of the Election Commission.

The SP president urged the Supreme Court and the EC to take immediate cognisance of alleged voter suppression based on video evidence.

In a post on X, Yadav said, "All police officers who are checking voter cards and Aadhaar IDs should be immediately suspended on the basis of video evidence. Police have no right to check Aadhaar ID cards or identity cards," Yadav said.

He shared a video of party candidate Sumbul Rana from Meerapur in Muzaffarnagar district, accusing police personnel of trying to deter people from voting.

Rana claimed that such complaints were coming from Nayagaon, Nagla Buzuk, Sambalheda, and other areas in the constituency. "We are raising complaints but officers are not checking it," she alleged.

Countering the opposition party's claims, BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla said the Samajwadi Party and its chief are scared of losing the bypolls.

"The SP has lost trust in the voters. That is why they have gathered external disruptive elements in the bypoll areas. According to several media reports, the faces of women wearing burqas are not matching with their identity cards," Shukla said.

"The BJP appeals to the EC and the administration to ensure that voting is not allowed without matching the identity cards and that the EC's instructions are strictly followed," he added.

The SP's media cell also highlighted alleged poll code violations at some locations, including the Kundarki seat in Moradabad. It said that the party's agents were not being allowed near the polling stations.

Moradabad DM Anuj Singh, "We got these claims verified, I myself spoke to the polling officer in Bikanpur and found that voting is underway smoothly and no voter is facing any problem. There is adequate security presence also".

In neighbouring Uttarakhand, the Kedarnath seat saw a turnout of 17.69 per cent till 11 am.

The assembly seat in Rudraprayag district fell vacant after the death of BJP MLA Shaila Rani Rawat in July this year.

There are six candidates in the fray, with BJP's Asha Nautiyal and Congress's Manoj Rawat seen to be locked in a straight contest.

In Punjab, a voter turnout of over 20 percent was recorded till 11 am.

The Gidderbaha seat recorded 35 percent polling, Dera Baba Nanak 19.4 percent, Barnala 16.1 percent and Chabbewal 12.71 percent.

Forty-five candidates, including three women, are in the fray for the bypolls. A total of 6.96 lakh voters, including 3.31 lakh women, are eligible to exercise their franchise at 831 polling stations.

Among the key contestants in the fray are former Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Kewal Singh Dhillon, Sohan Singh Thandal and Ravikaran Singh Kahlon (BJP), Amrita Warring and Jatinder Kaur (Congress), and Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon and Ishank Kumar Chabbewal (AAP).

In Kerala, brisk polling was witnessed in the Palakkad with a turnout of 20.50 per cent at 10.30 am.

Among the 10, the key contenders are Rahul Mamkootathil (Congress-led UDF), C. Krishnakumar (BJP-led NDA), and P. Sarin (CPI(M)-led LDF).

The by-election was necessitated after Congress leader Shafi Parambil resigned as MLA of the constituency following his election to the Lok Sabha.

Polling started at 7 am in 14 seats and will end at 5 pm. However, in Kedarnath it started at 8 am and will end at 6 pm.

Votes will be counted on November 23.