ECI suspends seven police officials for violating guidelines during UP bypolls

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Nov 20 took action against Uttar Pradesh police personnel accused of violating its guidelines during the ongoing bypolls.

Following the complaints of voter obstruction and misuse of duty, the EC ordered the suspension of several officers, including those deployed in the Sisamau assembly constituency of Kanpur.

The suspended personnel include two officers each from Kanpur and Muzaffarnagar districts and three from Moradabad.

In a statement, the ECI said, “No eligible voter should be prevented from voting. Any kind of biased attitude during voting will not be tolerated. On receiving a complaint, there will be an immediate investigation. If anyone is found guilty, strict action will be taken.”

Bypolls are currently being held in nine Assembly constituencies including Ghaziabad, Katehari, Khair, Kundarki, Karhal, Majhawan, Meerapur, Phulpur, and Sisamau.

The move follows directives from Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar to district election officers (DEOs) and superintendents of police (SPs) to ensure impartial and smooth voting. The CEC instructed officials to address all complaints and notify complainants via social media, tagging them in updates to maintain transparency.

The EC's intervention came after Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav shared a video alleging voter harassment. Yadav demanded the suspension of officers checking voter cards and Aadhaar IDs unlawfully. Subsequently, Kanpur police confirmed the suspension of sub-inspectors implicated in the allegations and urged strict compliance with election procedures.

The Samajwadi party in a statement alleged that certain communities were targeted and prevented from casting their votes. The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) dismissed these claims and demanded that identity verification for burqa-clad (veiled) voters be intensified. The BJP alleged "fake voting" in some assembly constituencies including Sisamau.

"Some men have worn burqa and tried to vote. On many occasions, they have been stopped by poll officials. if the identity of burqa-clad women is not checked, fake voting will take place. Only proper checking will ensure fair and transparent voting," BJP's Akhilesh Kumar Awasthi wrote in a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer of Uttar Pradesh.

According to EC, voting, which began at 7 am across nine assembly constituencies, including Katehari, Karhal, Mirapur, and Ghaziabad, saw a turnout of 20.51% by 11 am. Kundarki recorded the highest turnout at 28.54%, while Ghaziabad saw the lowest at 12.56%.