Wed Nov 20 08:21:37 UTC 2024: ## Uttar Pradesh Police Officers Suspended Amid Bypoll Voting Irregularities

**Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh –** The Election Commission of India (ECI) has suspended several Uttar Pradesh police officers following allegations of voter intimidation and obstruction during ongoing by-elections in nine assembly constituencies. The action comes after complaints, including a video shared by Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav, alleging unlawful voter ID checks and harassment.

The ECI acted swiftly on the complaints, ordering the suspension of officers in the Sisamau assembly constituency of Kanpur, among others. This followed directives from Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar emphasizing impartial voting and transparent handling of complaints, including social media engagement with complainants. Kanpur police confirmed the suspensions of the implicated sub-inspectors and pledged to enforce strict adherence to election procedures.

The SP alleged that specific communities were targeted to prevent voting. Conversely, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) denied these claims, instead urging stricter identity verification for burqa-clad voters, alleging instances of impersonation in some constituencies, including Sisamau. The BJP’s Akhilesh Kumar Awasthi wrote to the Chief Electoral Officer emphasizing the need for identity checks to prevent fraudulent voting.

By 11 am, overall voter turnout across the nine constituencies, including Katehari, Karhal, Mirapur, and Ghaziabad, reached 20.51%, with Kundarki recording the highest turnout (28.54%) and Ghaziabad the lowest (12.56%), according to ECI data. The by-elections are ongoing.

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