Dalit community members stopped from casting votes in Uttar Pradesh: BSP writes to EC

Speaking to news agency ANI, BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra said that the pary has requested immediate action and informed the EC that "higher-ups had a hand in this".

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Thursday registered a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) alleging that members of the Dalit community were stopped from casting their votes in Uttar Pradesh. It added that the Dalit voters were stopped by the police and the administration.

Speaking to news agency ANI, BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra said that the party has requested immediate action and informed the EC that "higher-ups had a hand in this".

The party lodged another complaint with the EC regarding a malfunction of an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). Citing a video, the BSP levelled allegations saying that in the video it is seen that though the 'elephant' symbol is being pressed in an EVM but vote is going to BJP's 'lotus' symbol. Mishra added that though the BP had complained against it but no action was taken.

Speaking to news agency ANI, BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra said, "In Uttar Pradesh today, the police and administration stopped members of Dalit community from casting votes. We've registered a complaint with Election Commission regarding this & requested immediate action. We've told EC that higher-ups had a hand in this."

"We've registered another complaint with Election Commission & have sent them a video clip of EVM, in which it is seen that 'elephant' symbol is being pressed but the vote is going to BJP's 'lotus' symbol. Our people had complained against it but no action was taken," added Mishra.

Satish Chandra Mishra, BSP: In Uttar Pradesh today, the police & administration stopped members of Dalit community from casting votes. We've registered complaint with Election Commission regarding this & requested immediate action. We've told EC that higher-ups had a hand in this pic.twitter.com/nVcMG7C1Cm — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 11, 2019

Polling took place in eight parliamentary constituencies of western Uttar Pradesh in the first phase of Lok Sabha poll. Three Union ministers -- VK Singh (Ghaziabad), Satyapal Singh (Baghpat) and Mahesh Sharma (Gautam Buddha Nagar) -- are in the fray in the first leg of the seven-phase polls.

Joint Chief Electoral Officer Ramesh Chandra Rai said there was no report of any impersonation, bogus voting, obstruction to polling or violence from anywhere in these constituencies,

In Muzaffarnagar, BJP MP Sanjeev Balyan stoked a controversy by demanding that male officials check the identity of burqa-clad women at poll stations where women security personnel have not been posted.

In the first phase, over one crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in 16,518 booths set up inside 6,716 polling centres to decide the fate of 96 candidates.

Politically crucial Uttar Pradesh sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. Of the 80 seats in UP, the Samajwadi Party is contesting on 37 seats, BSP on 38, and the RLD on three seats. The state will head for voting in all the seven phases.