As phase four of the Lok Sabha elections was underway, voters from different Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh are raising accusations of intimidation and vote-switching.
A woman voter in the Lakhimpur Kheri region of the state alleged that she voted for the Samajwadi Party and clicked on the party’s bicycle symbol, but the slip issued by the VVPAT showed the lotus symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
She claimed that when she raised the complaint with the presiding officer, she was told to go outside and talk to someone else. “Meine cycle ko vote di, phool kyu chapa? (I voted for the cycle, why did it print the lotus symbol?)” the woman asked, claiming that there was some suspicious activity going on.
A woman voter in UP”s Lakhimpur Kheri alleged she voted for Samajwadi party but BJP slip was issued (from the VVPAT). pic.twitter.com/F0GqcVyfvb
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) May 13, 2024
An hour later, another video emerged where the same woman voter, surrounded by police officers and officials from the local administration, claimed that there was no issue with the voting process and that she was satisfied.
In another video, the woman voter, in presence of cops and local admin, can be heard saying that there is no issue with the voting. She had earlier claimed of discrepancy over BJP slip issued after voting for Samajwadi Party. https://t.co/YdF2Av5JXG pic.twitter.com/8tNF1tGIzv
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) May 13, 2024
Another voter from the Lakhimpur Kheri region claimed the same. “Jab hum daalne gaye, humne cycle par button dabayi, kamal ka phool ka nishaan nikal raha hai (when I went to vote, I clicked on the button next to the cycle, but the slip issued shows the lotus symbol),” the man claimed. He also alleged that 3–4 people behind him also experienced the same.
Another voter from Lakhimpur Kheri with similar claim. pic.twitter.com/Iyc2vMtugJ
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) May 13, 2024
Lakhimpur Kheri’s District Election Officer (DEO), Mahendra Bahadur Singh, stated that during the investigation into the vote-switching claims, the officials failed to find any discrepancies. The official also said that action will be taken against the accused for spreading the rumour, as per UP Tak reports.
After reports of voters claiming vote switching at their poll stations, the Samajwadi Party (SP) accused the BJP supporters of intimidating voters belonging to the Shakya and Lodhi communities in certain booths in Farukhabad Lok Sabha constituency. One of the representatives of the party alleged that the supporters of the BJP standing in a nearby field forbade anyone from voting.
The party representative urged the Election Commission to visit the polling station so the voters could vote. If the EC doesn’t come, then the party requests a repolling in the area. In the video, the SP member can be seen surrounded by voters raising their voter ID cards who were allegedly prevented from voting by BJP supporters.
फर्रुखाबाद लोकसभा के अलीगंज में बूथ संख्या 349, 359, 369 पर भाजपा समर्थकों द्वारा शाक्य समाज एवं अन्य मतदाताओं को वोट डालने से रोका जा रहा, डराया धमकाया जा रहा।
संज्ञान ले चुनाव आयोग, निष्पक्ष मतदान सुनिश्चित हो।@ecisveep @ceoup @DMFarrukhabadUP pic.twitter.com/8ofdH9GMNZ
— Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) May 13, 2024
Meanwhile, the BJP alleged booth capturing by presiding officers, cops, and goons associated with the Samajwadi Party. The saffron party alleged that SP leader Akhilesh Yadav incited his supporters to commit voter fraud at a polling station, and when a BJP supporter protested, he was allegedly abused and beaten up.
42-कन्नौज लोकसभा
विधानसभा छिबरामऊ के बूथ नंबर-122 प्रा. वि. रंधीरपुर पर समाजवादी पार्टी प्रत्याशी श्री अखिलेश यादव अपने समर्थकों आशीष यादव, मनोज एवं अन्य को उकसाकर फर्जी वोटिंग करा रहे थे। विरोध करने पर भाजपा पोलिंग एजेंट श्री अखिलेश दीक्षित से गाली-गलौज की और अपने समर्थकों से… pic.twitter.com/hoba3P37zn
— BJP Uttar Pradesh (@BJP4UP) May 13, 2024
Soon enough, an altercation occurred between workers from both parties in Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh. In the video, BJP MP Subrat Pathak’s brother Chotu Pathak can be seen threatening and verbally abusing SP supporters before police officers interfered. SP workers can be heard in the background accusing the BJP supporters of booth-capturing.
Warning: Abusive content
After an altercation between BJP and SP workers at a polling booth in UP”s Kannauj, BJP MP Subrat Pathak”s brother Chotu Pathak can be seen threatening and abusing SP supporters at the spot. pic.twitter.com/mfmS7vSnel
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) May 13, 2024
Meanwhile, the official Twitter handle of the Lakhimpur Kheri District Magistrate said: “An allegation made by a person regarding Gandhi Smarak Inter College, Gola polling station 232 was investigated by the Sector Magistrate and SDM, Gola. The complaint was found to be false and baseless.
Voting is going on peacefully.”
गाँधी स्मारक इंटर कॉलेज गोला मतदान केंद्र 232 के सम्बन्ध मे एक व्यक्ति द्वारा लगाए गए आरोप की जांच सेक्टर मजिस्ट्रेट एवं SDM गोला से कराई गयी, शिकायत असत्य निराधार पायी गई.
मतदान शांति पूर्वक चल रहा है @ceoup https://t.co/hDKgcM06tc pic.twitter.com/YCp0hpzIUf— DM LAKHIMPUR KHERI (@DmKheri) May 13, 2024