2 killed as violence mars 3rd phase of UP Panchayat polls

Lucknow: Two persons were killed and many others injured as violence marred the third phase of Uttar Pradesh gram panchayat polls which recorded a voter turnout of around 73 percent on Saturday.

State Election Commissioner S K Agarwal said that two persons were killed in poll-related violence.

The deaths were reported from Ghazipur and Fatehpur districts, he said.

Meanwhile, 35-year-old Mahendra Yadav, son of former BSP MLA Rajbali Yadav was today shot at during his morning walk in Datsingar locality, he said.

Agarwal, however, maintained that barring few incidents, the third phase of polling was "by and large peaceful".

He said that in Firozabad two policemen, including the Station House Officer Mukesh Chandra and constable Rajendra Singh were suspended and an FIR of murder was lodged against them.

Agarwal noted that in Rampur, at least 10 persons, including a policeman, were injured in a clash when the police tried to prevent sweets-distribution by a candidate.

The incident was reported yesterday when the police raided Ahmadabad village, where Afsad Hussain, contesting for the gram pradhan elections, was allegedly distributing sweets among his electorates.

People resisted the raid and resorted to stone pelting in which constable Charan Singh received injuries on his head, police said.

A case of violation of model code of conduct was registered against 50 persons, including the poll candidate.

In another incident, police arrested a candidate and two others in Sacatua village for allegedly distributing cash among the electorates.

Police said they were investigating the matter further.

The State Election Commission also received complaints against Thakurdwara SDM Rajeshwar Singh over irregularities in voters lists and several other issues during Gram Sabha polls held here on November 28, District Information Officer Rishi Kumar Saxena said.

Election Observer Deepak Trivedi on probing the complaints found them to be true, following which the SDM was suspended, he added.

The second phase of the Panchayat polls on December 1, had also recorded two deaths in poll-related violence.