Lucknow: Large scale violence was reported from several districts of Uttar Pradesh during the nominations of the Block Pramukh elections in 825 blocks on Thursday.
While three people were injured in a firing in Sitapur, former Assembly Speaker and leader of Samajwadi party Mata Prasad Pandey was heckled in Sidharthnagar.
Several people, including policemen, were injured in the clashes too.
In most of the places, clashes broke out between ruling BJP and Samajwadi party supporters. But in Sitapur, it was between a Rebel BJP candidate and a BJP official nominee.
In many places, the police remained a mute spectator and watched the clashes.
The nomination started at 1100 hrs and ended at 1500 hrs and thereafter scrutiny of papers were done.
Though SP leaders alleged that several of their candidates were not allowed to file their nominations by police and BJP workers. Some said that several of their candidates' papers were rejected illegally.
But the BJP refuted the charges and claimed that in several blocks their candidates were elected unopposed.
The dispute with the BJP also emerged after the leadership allowed that there would be no official candidate of the party in several seats and the winner would be adopted by the party.
Tomorrow candidates can withdraw their nominations between 1100 hrs to 1500 hrs. Polling can be held where required on Saturday from 1100 hrs to 1500 hrs, while counting of votes will take place just after the end of the polling.
In the Kamlapur police station area of ??Sitapur district, there was a lot of violence during the nomination in Kasmanda block on Thursday, a report from Sitapur said. Bombs were lobbed besides several rounds of firing to stop the rebel BJP candidate from going for nomination. There was a stampede after the incident. The police lathicharged and there is tension after the incident. Three people were injured in the incident.
In Sidharthnagar district, former Assembly speaker Mata Prasad Pandey was heckled when he was going with the SP Block Pramukh candidate to file nominations.
There was a ruckus in Nawabganj and Asoha during the nomination for the post of block chief in Unnao district.
In Nawabganj, the supporters of the BJP supported candidate tore the independent candidate's form. On this, the police chased the supporters. On getting the information, DM and SP also reached. He talked about taking action against those who tore the paper.
In Asoha, SP supported candidate was prevented from filing nomination at which MLC Sunil Sajan and other SP officials reached the spot and protested against it.
Stone pelting incident took place in Talgram block of Kannauj district after a dispute over nomination of supporters of SP and BJP candidates. The police chased the people with batons.
The convoy of BJP candidate Pallav Singh Somvanshi, who came to Farrukhabad to file nomination for Rajepur block chief, was stopped by the policemen on the barrier at Rajepur Tirahe.
On the information of the candidate's vehicle being stopped, the former district president clashed with the constable posted on the barrier using abusive language. The barricading was removed due to which about two dozen vehicles went inside. The police remained a mute spectator.
During the nomination of block chief in Chakarnagar, Etawah, Shiv Kishore Yadav, husband of SP candidate Sunita Devi, opened fire. Due to which Rakesh Yadav, husband of BJP candidate Radha Devi was injured.
Heavy police force reached the spot. During this there was a scuffle with the police. ASP Rural Omvir Singh is present at the nomination site.
In Manikpur block of Chitrakoot district, SPs accused BJP workers of preventing their candidates and supporters from filing nominations. The supporters first blocked the road and now people are not being allowed to enter even inside the enrolment hall.
The supporters of the SP candidate who came to the nomination in the Naraini block office of Banda were stopped by the police.
In the Madhogarh block of Jalaun district, there was a clash between the BJP and the police. The BJP workers raised slogans against the police.
During the nomination in Marhara block of Etah district, there was violence on Thursday afternoon. The nomination paper was snatched from the Samajwadi Party candidate Guddi Devi.
When the police tried to stop the chaotic elements, people pelted stones at the police. Several policemen were injured in incident. There was chaos in the block for half an hour after the incident. The officers and employees hid at safe places to save their lives. The crowd could hardly be controlled. The SP has accused the BJP of snatching the papers and creating a nuisance.
There was a clash between BJP and SP supporters during the nomination in the development block Jagir of Mainpuri district. BJP supporters surrounded SP MLA Brijesh Katheria's car. The windshield of an SP leader's car was broken. After getting the information, DM Mahendra Bahadur Singh and SP Ashok Kumar Rai reached the spot along with the police force.
Rashtriya Lok Dal candidate Anshu filed nomination for the post of Chhaprauli block in Baghpat district. Anshu has been the block chief even before this. The RLD workers created a ruckus in front of the police, accusing the police of trying to stop them from filing nomination. He also got into fights with the police.
In Dhampur, Bijnor, independent candidate Dr Kusum Raghuvanshi and his supporters were stopped by the ruling party workers outside the block premises.
It was reported that independent candidate Kusum and supporters were assaulted. During this, candidate Dr. Kusum saved herself by taking refuge in a bank along with women supporters.
At Powai block of Azamgarh district, BJP workers created a ruckus. SP candidate was not allowed to file nomination. Not only this, BJP MLA Arunkant Yadav himself attacked the SP candidate with a stick injuring him on the head. The police somehow rescued he BJP workers and brought the SP candidate inside but he could not file his nomination.
Similar violent incidents were reported from Jhansi, Sambhal,Sant Kabir Nagar, Bahriach, Fatehpur and Maharajganj districts too. (UNI)