Mainpuri bypoll 2022: Accusing the Election Commission of turning a 'blind eye', Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday alleged that the police and administration are preventing people from casting votes in Mainpuri parliamentary and Rampur Assembly constituency in the by-polls in Uttar Pradesh.
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"What briefing has been done to the police force? They have been asked to prevent people from voting in Mainpuri. In Rampur also the administration prevented people from casting votes. All the tactics are being adopted so that people did not come out," Yadav told reporters in Mainpuri, adding, that the District Magistrate Mainpuri is not responding to the calls.
"How can an officer do this when a bypoll is going on," Akhilesh Yadav said.
"They (Election Commission) are doing whatever directives they get from the government. BJP has been given full freedom. They are distributing liquor and adopting other tactics against the SP," he said.
About the Mainpuri seat, Yadav said, "all the development you see here (in Mainpuri) is being done by 'Netaji' (Mulayam). People are remembering him and voting in our favour. The (victory) margin here is good."
In Mainpuri, the main contest is between Mulayam Singh Yadav's elder daughter-in-law and Akhilesh's wife Dimple Yadav and BJP's Raghuraj Singh Shakya. The by-election to the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat is taking place due to the death of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav in October this year. The counting of votes will be held on December 8.
