Mainpuri bypoll: Police not allowing people to cast votes, alleges Akhilesh Yadav; wife Dimple says 'DM not taking calls'

In the by-election to the Mainpuri parliamentary seat in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple is pitted against BJP's Raghuraj Singh Shakya.

New Delhi: As voting began on Monday (December 5, 2022) in the by-election to the Mainpuri parliamentary seat in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the police is not allowing people to cast their votes. His wife Dimple Yadav, who is pitted against BJP's Raghuraj Singh Shakya in Mainpuri, also alleged that the official is not receiving the calls of SP workers regarding the complaint of rigging in the elections.

"I don't know on whose orders the administration is working from the day polling started. What briefing has been given to him? Complaints are coming continuously since morning. Police is not allowing people to cast votes," Akhilesh said. 

Mainpuri Lok Sabha by-polls | I don't know on whose orders the administration is working from the day polling started. What briefing has been given to him? Complaints are coming continuously since morning. Police is not allowing people to cast votes: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav pic.twitter.com/jhfcVQ68HM — ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2022

Dimple also took to her official Twitter account and wrote, "DM Mainpuri is not receiving the calls of SP workers regarding the complaint of rigging in the elections."

डीएम मैनपुरी चुनाव में हो रही धांधली की शिकायत को लेकर सपा कार्यकर्ताओं के फोन को नहीं रिसीव कर रहे।

संज्ञान ले चुनाव आयुक्त।@ECISVEEP

— Dimple Yadav (@dimpleyadav) December 5, 2022

The by-election to the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat is taking place due to the death of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Meanwhile, voting is also underway for the by-election to the Rampur Sadar and Khatauli assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. The bypolls in Rampur Sadar and Khatauli were necessitated after SP MLA Azam Khan and BJP MLA Vikram Singh Saini were disqualified following their conviction in separate cases.

As per the latest updates, the polling has started on a dull note as only seven per cent of the voters have so far exercised their franchise in the first two hours of voting in the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat, while Rampur Sadar and Khatauli assembly seats witnessed just 3.97 and 6.9 per cent polling.