Voting in the second phase for eight Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh ended on Friday amid accusations by the Samajwadi Party (SP) of bogus voting in Baghpat and Gautam Buddh Nagar. Till 5pm, the Election Commission recorded a turnout of 53%.
In the second phase, eight parliamentary seats in Western Uttar Pradesh went to polls -- Amroha, Aligarh, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahar, Baghpat, Meerut, Gautam Buddha Nagar and Mathura.
“Information is received about bogus voting at booth number 112 Chapraili, Baghpat Lok Sabha. Administration is preventing Muslim voters from casting their votes at booth number 234 in Noida of Gautam Buddha Nagar Lok Sabha seat, male policemen are checking female voters. Election Commission should take cognizance and ensure fair voting,” read a statement by the SP.
SP president Akhilesh Yadav said the BJP is heading towards an historic defeat. “In the second phase, a strange trend was observed throughout the day. The number of voters from all communities and classes voting in support of the INDIA alliance kept on increasing at every booth, while on the other hand, the number of BJP voters kept on decreasing,” he said.
Mr. Yadav said the “news of BJP’s historic defeat has spread fully among the frustrated and disappointed supporters of the BJP”.
“The BJP members are embarrassed and angry at the nonsensical statements of top BJP leaders. After all, they too have to live in the society. They do not want to spoil their and their family’s social relations in the society by getting involved in political statements. They know that only through social harmony there are opportunities for everyone’s well-being and progress. The second phase has made the picture even clearer. This time, BJP game is over,” said Mr. Yadav.
Exhorting people to vote, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wrote on X: “In the second phase of voting for the Lok Sabha elections 2024, an appeal to the respected voters to vote for a ‘safe and developed India’. Your every vote is decisive in creating a golden future for the country. First vote, then refreshment.” He targeted the Opposition for creating division in society through religious polarisation.
Of the eight seats that went to polls, the BJP had won seven in 2019 -- Aligarh, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Mathura, Baghpat, Bulandshahr and Gautam Buddha Nagar.
This time in Baghpat, BJP ally Rashtriya Lok Dal’s candidate Rajkumar Sangwan is locked in a contest with Amarpal Sharma of the SP and Praveen Bainsal from the BSP. In the Scheduled Caste-reserved Bulandshahr seat, Bhola Singh of the BJP is taking on Congress’ Shivram Valmiki and the BSP’s Girish Jatav. In Mathura, there is a triangular contest among the BJP’s Hema Malini, Mukesh Dhangar of the Congress and Suresh Singh of the BSP.
