Farmers Movement Archive

Samajwadi Party announces protests across Uttar Pradesh on July 15 over alleged poll irregularities

The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Friday announced it would hold statewide demonstrations on July 15 against what it called the “rigging of zila panchayat chairpersons’ and block pramukh polls” in Uttar Pradesh even as SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said his party was “preparing a list of all those district administration and police officials who conducted themselves like BJP workers” in these elections. The SP chief also said: “On return to power in the 2022 assembly polls, the government will act on all such officers. The Samajwadi Party will never forget the atrocities that were perpetrated first to win the zila panchayat (chairpersons’) and then the block pramukh polls. The BJP engaged in hooliganism and the district administration, police officers worked as BJP cadre. The party is preparing a list of all such officers.” While the district panchayat chief polls were held on July 3, the block pramukh elections in the state are scheduled on Saturday (July 10). The SP chief was addressing a party workers’ meeting at the party’s state headquarters here on Friday afternoon. The announcement about the protests on July 15 was made through a statement issued by the party on the eve of the block pramukh elections. “The state election commission (SEC) did not do its duty. The government should say who allowed all this hooliganism statewide?” he asked. In the recent zila panchayat chairperson’ polls, BJP won 65 of the 75 seats while SP could win only five. On the nomination day on Thursday, the SP chief had accused the BJP and the district administration and police officers of preventing many candidates from filing their nominations. “The BJP’s mask has fallen. Samajwadi Party workers and leaders are being harassed and cases are being filed against them,” he said. He also said the people would bring the Samajwadi Party to power in the 2022 UP assembly polls. In a statement, the SP said its party workers, kshetra panchayat members, zila panchayat, gram panchayat members and heads, apart from all the frontal organizations, will participate in the protest. “The SP cadre will protest at the tehsils and blocks. The protestors will submit memorandums addressed to the governor,” said the SP statement. The memorandum will also try to attract the governor’s attention to price rise, the law and order situation, unemployment, three new central farm laws, misbehaviour with women, crumbling health services, fake cases against SP workers and misuse of power by the BJP government, said Rajendra Chaudhary, the SP spokesperson, in the statement. Chaudhary said that the party had asked its workers to follow Covid safety norms during the protest.

Hindustan Times

10-07-2021

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