News Analysis India

Tag: Uttar Pradesh opposition

  • UP block-panchayat polls: BJP claims victory in most seats; Opposition alleges misuse of machinery

    By PTI
    LUCKNOW: The BJP on Saturday claimed victory on 635 of the total 825 seats of block panchayat chiefs in Uttar Pradesh, where the local bodies elections were held amid scattered incidents of violence with the opposition alleging misuse of official machinery by the ruling party.

    Polling for the 476 posts of block panchayat chiefs was held from 11 AM to 3 PM, following which counting of votes had commenced. A total of 349 candidates for the block panchayat chief posts were elected unopposed on Friday, the last day for the withdrawal of nomination papers, State Election Commissioner Manoj Kumar said.

    A spokesman of the Commission said that though at most of the places, counting had been completed, in some areas it was still continuing and the results were expected late in the night.

    According to state police, clashes and other untoward incidents were reported from 17 districts during the election process and orders have been issued to respective district police heads to take strict action against those responsible for it.

    Victory processions have not been allowed and officials were keeping a strict eye on the situation, the state police said in a statement.

    Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a press conference at the BJP headquarter and claimed victory on 635 seats, where counting had been completed, and attributed the success to the teamwork of the government and party organisation.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and other top BJP leaders congratulated the state unit for the performance. “The benefits that the people have got from the Yogi Adityanath government’s policies and public interest schemes have been reflected in the party’s massive victory. All the party workers deserve congratulations for this victory,” PM Modi tweeted.

    The panchayat election results are an important morale-booster for the BJP ahead of assembly polls next year in the politically crucial state as it had drawn a lot of flak over its handling of the COVID19 pandemic.

    Chief Minister Adityanath also praised the State Election Commission for conducting peaceful and fair elections. “The contribution of the State Election Commission in conducting the peaceful and fair elections was praiseworthy. Getting such a massive election process peacefully, in a state where democracy was mortgaged to professional criminals and mafia on the basis of caste religion and sects…Every citizen and party can fight election now peacefully,” Yogi said.

    However, the opposition parties accused the BJP government of misusing official machinery in the elections and unleashing anarchy. In a statement, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the BJP had “forcibly” captured the posts of block chiefs with the help of government machinery and called it an insult of the mandate.

    “The BJP government has no faith in democracy and the Constitution,” he said and alleged candidates were “abducted openly” and those opposing these tactics were being harassed.The former chief minister said that his party had given a memorandum to the state Election Commissioner about malpractices and rigging, but no action was taken. “Democracy in Uttar Pradesh has been held hostage by BJP,” he alleged.

    Hitting out at the BJP government, BSP chief Mayawati alleged that “jungle raj is prevailing” in the state. “There has been widespread violence in the panchayat polls, and there was indecent behaviour with a woman in Lakhimpur Kheri.This is highly condemnable. Is this their (BJP’s) rule of law and democracy? This is something to ponder upon,” she said.

    The Congress too slammed the BJP government, with party leader Rahul Gandhi derisively saying that the poll violence has been renamed “masterstroke” in the state. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged that the BJP had “crossed” all limits to stop the nomination of a woman in the polls.

    Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee’s media and communication department convenor Lalan Kumar alleged that “anarchy is being spread by the leaders and workers of the BJP”. “BJP workers armed with bombs, bullets and sticks are making their district panchayat presidents and block chiefs and it is surprising that the entire administration is playing a big role in the murder of democracy,” he alleged.

    According to a report from Sonbhadra, after the election of the BJP candidate in Nagwan block, SP workers alleged rigging in the counting and created a ruckus in which policemen including a Circle Officer and a former chairman of Robertsganj Municipality were injured. Some vehicles were also damaged by the miscreants.

    Sonbhadra SP Amarendra Prasad Singh said that in Nagwan block after BJP candidate Alok Singh was declared the winner, SP workers started protesting and pelted stones when police tried to clear the area, prompting the cops to lathi-charge.

    CO Sadar Ashish Mishra and a policeman were injured in this incident, he said. Several purported videos of clashes between supporters of rival parties were also posted on social media. A total of 1,778 nomination papers were received for 825 posts of the block panchayat chiefs, of which 68 were cancelled and 187 withdrawn.

    A total of 1,710 candidates were left in the fray for the elections held on Saturday.

  • With eye on 2022, BJP pulls up its socks for UP panchayat polls

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: For the upcoming rural body elections in Uttar Pradesh, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is leaving nothing to fate. Considering it as the semi-final for next year’s assembly election, the saffron brigade has gone all out to leave its impact on the panchayat elections. From organising chaupals in 50000 villages across the state, the party reaching out to those at the booth level. 

    The party is ready to issue the list of candidates for the first and second phase of UP Panchayat Polls after a key meeting on Thursday at state party headquarters in Lucknow. All the regional presidents of BJP will be present in the meeting along with the list of candidates of their constituency.

    The meeting is likely to be attended by state BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh, state general minister’s organization Sunil Bansal, state in-charge of Panchayat elections Vijay Bahadur Pathak as well as state officials and regional presidents.

    The party insiders claimed that the BJP has chalked out a strong lineup of around 15000 programmes with workers participation in booth level seminars, kisan panchayats, district-level meetings for panchayat polls and now chaupals with a focus to strengthen the organisation at the booth level. The BJP workers have been reaching out to people with the achievements of the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre and the Yogi Adityanath-led government in the state.

    Party leaders undertook a campaign carrying the government’s achievement leaflets at the booth level on March 25 and March 26. The BJP is set to declare 3,051 district panchayat ward candidates for the upcoming three-tier panchayat elections. 

    With this, the party has decided to contest elections on 826 blockhead posts. In the panchayat elections, a mass contact drive is on reaching out to every voter at the ward level.

    As per the highly placed sources, the ruling party has planned big meetings at each district panchayat ward. There will be party-supported candidates for Gram Pradhan. The party has made a separate programme for farmers, youths and women. Till the booth level, the party has made its own team of fronts to reach out the voters and also to do the deep-rooted groundwork for Assembly elections through panchayat elections.

    On this connection, the regional chief of the party’s state unit will submit the list of candidates for the post of District Panchayat members of the first and second phase of the region. After discussing the names of the candidates, the State Committee will approve this list. If there is a disagreement on a seat, it will be resolved in the meeting as well.

    “The schedule has been announced by the Commission in a phased manner. The work of selection of candidates is going on. The party is going to contest the panchayat elections strongly,” State in-charge of BJP Panchayat elections Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.

    While the nomination process for the first phase of seats is from April 3 and voting is on April 15, that for the second phase is from April 7 and the voting is on April 19.

    The UP gram panchayat elections 2021 will be a key test of the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government’s popularity, and an opportunity for opposition parties to gauge the public mood, particularly as they come against the backdrop of persisting farmers’ protests in the country that have also gripped parts of UP.