Voting ends in Uttar Pradesh’s Gola Gokarannath bypoll even as the Samajwadi Party cries foul

Amid higher turnout, Akhilesh Yadav alleges BJP supporters captured polling stations in Lalapur, Madanpur and Laxmanjati, and drove away Muslims and SP voters and booth in-charges from there

Voting for the Gola Gokarannath Assembly segment in Uttar Pradesh ended amid allegations by the Samajwadi Party (SP) that some polling centres had been captured by supporters of the BJP. The seat is likely to see an increase in voter turnout compared with the 2022 Assembly polls as the latest figures (till 5 p.m.) from the Election Commission of India (ECI) recorded 55.68% polling, which is 7% more then the last Assembly election.

Counting of votes is scheduled on November 6.

“Free and fair elections are not possible anywhere due to the BJP’s greed. The BJP did not allow voters to vote freely in the Gola Gokarannath Assembly constituency. BJP supporters captured the polling station of villages Lalapur, Madanpur, Laxmanjati, and drove away Muslims and SP voters and booth in-charges from there,” Mr. Yadav said in an statement.

He added that the ECI was apprised in advance but the promptness required for the proceedings had been absent.

The byelection, which is the first electoral test for the newly appointed BJP State president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary and the party’s general secretary (organisation) Dharampal, was necessitated due to the death of sitting BJP MLA Arvind Giri, who passed away following a cardiac arrest in September.

Aman Giri, 26, son of late MLA, is the BJP’s candidate, while former MLA Vinay Tiwari is the opposition SP’s nominee.

The election campaign for the seat witnessed the BJP deputing a battery of leaders, including the Chief Minister and several Ministers, apart from the party’s rank and file. The SP, on the other hand, ran a relatively quiet outreach campaign aimed at door-to-door connect with voters.