Samajwadi Party workers staged protests in Azamgarh and Moradabad on Wednesday claiming recovery of blank ballot papers from a vehicle while alleging wrongdoing on the part of the official machinery.
In a tweet from its official Twitter account, the SP claimed that the car carrying 10,000 plain ballot papers was trying to enter a strong room in Azamgarh after switching off its headlights.
“The vehicle from Varanasi was stopped by alert SP workers at the gate. At whose behest were the ballot papers being taken? What was the purpose? EC please clarify," the SP said in a tweet and also shared a video of the vehicle and party workers staging protest.
On the directions of SP president Akhilesh Yadav, a party delegation led by state unit president Naresh Uttam Patel and national secretary Rajendra Chaudhari met Election Commission (EC) officials in Lucknow in connection with the recovery of ballot papers.
The delegation, which submitted a written complaint, also forwarded a copy to the Chief Election Commissioner.
However, District Election Officer of Azamgarh Amrit Tripath clarified that the vehicle belonged to the block development officer (BDO) and the recovered ballot papers were unused postal ballots which had to be submitted along with the ballot papers.
By mistake the BDO did not submit it, he said, adding that it was nothing but stationery.
But due to the negligence of the BDO, recommendation for his suspension has been made to the Election Commission and all the candidates have been informed about this.
In Moradabad, a huge ruckus erupted after the Tehsildar was allegedly caught with two ballot boxes hidden in a vehicle near the strong room at Mandi Samiti.
Former SP district president of Jaiveer Singh Yadav told reporters, "Dharmendra, the Tehsildar of Bilari reached the strong room area in a vehicle of Bilari municipality. Ballot boxes were hidden under mattresses kept inside the car.”
"The tehsildar misbehaved with SP agents when they tried to stop him from entering the EVM strong room and he also tried to take the ballot boxes inside," Singh alleged.
Claiming that over 1,400 blank ballot papers were inside the boxes, SP candidate Faheem alleged that they were meant to be replaced with postal ballots.
Moradabad DM Shailendra Kumar Singh and SSP Bablu Kumar reached the Mandi Samiti and managed to pacify the protesters.
"They were unused ballots and the boxes were sealed. Though, it was a mistake on the part of the people concerned for trying to transfer the unused ballots to a safer place. The tehsildar has been relieved of his responsibility keeping in view the circumstances," the DM said.
