All INDIA bloc candidates to fight UP bypolls on 'cycle' symbol
Lucknow (PTI): INDIA bloc candidates will contest all nine seats in the upcoming bypolls on his party's election symbol 'cycle', Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav announced on Wednesday.
He said the alliance's decision was not informed by any seat-sharing math but its pursuit of victory.
"Congress and Samajwadi Party are united and stand shoulder to shoulder for a big victory. India bloc is going to write a new chapter of victory in this by-election," Yadav said in a post on X.
"With this unprecedented cooperation and support, every worker of 'INDIA bloc' on all 9 assembly seats is filled with new energy with the resolve to win," he added.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said that the coming election will be fought for the protection of the country's Constitution, peace, and the honour of "Pichchde (backwards), Dalit and Alpsankhyak (Minorities)."
Bypolls will be held on November 13 on nine seats-- Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar), Ghaziabad, Majhawan (Mirzapur), Sishamau (Kanpur city), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj), and Kundarki (Moradabad).
Eight of these seats fell vacant after their MLAs were elected as MPs in the Lok Sabha, while a bypoll is being held on the Sisamau seat due to the disqualification of SP MLA Irfan Solanki, who was convicted in a criminal case.
The Congress had originally demanded five of 10 assembly seats (including Milkipur).
The SP, however, last week said the Congress had agreed to contest on two seats, Ghaziabad and Khair (Aligarh), leaving the rest to the SP.
The Election Commission has announced a by-election on nine seats, leaving out Milkipur (Ayodhya).
The last date for filing nominations is October 25.
The SP has already declared its candidates from Karhal, Sisamau, Phulpur, Milkipur, Katehari, Majahawan and Meerapur.
Counting of votes will take place on November 23.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
