JOIN USStray incidents of violence and alleged booth capturing marred the Uttar Pradesh local urban body polling in the state capital on Saturday.
The election commission, taking a serious view of the complaints, suspended five senior officials, including a sector magistrate and an additional city magistrate.
An estimated 50 per cent electorate exercised their franchise in the polls amidst tight security arrangements in the city, according to commission sources here.
Police had to make a ‘lathi charge’ to separate warring supporters of two rival parties at a polling booth in Telibagh area in the city, sources said. A dozen people have been arrested in connection with the violence.
The commission took a serious view of the violence that erupted over alleged booth capturing. Sector magistrate Imamuddin, additional city magistrate Shanker Mukherjee, a circle officer and two SHOs have been suspended for laxity.
UP governor B L Joshi also exercised his franchise but senior BJP leader Kalraj Mishra could not cast his vote as his name was missing from the electoral rolls.
The civic polls were also held in the rural areas in the Lucknow district on Saturday. The polls in other places would held in phases.
Liquor sales go up
Sale of liquor more than doubled ahead of Saturday’s municipal corporation and local body polls in the Uttar Pradesh capital. With all the liquor shops closed for the weekend, the candidates have reportedly ensured that the voters’ evenings do not go dry.
There was huge demand of alcohol in the market for the last few days, said a salesmen at an Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) shop here. State’s excise department officials also said that in the last four days, IMFL sales had touched 3.22 lakh bottles, beer bottle sale had risen to 7.66 lakh and country liquor to 2,31703 bulk litres.
Police said the liquor is meant to pamper voters. “This time, the liquor sales went up unprecedented levels,” said a senior district official.
With more than 22.47 lakh voters electing a mayor from 12 contestants and 110 corporators from 1,679 contestants, “booze is flowing freely,” an official source admitted. However, officials said nothing could be done about the hasty purchases of liquor.