Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, general secretary of the All-India Congress Committee and in charge of Uttar Pradesh, visited Lakhimpur Kheri district to meet the woman; manhandled during the Block pramukh panchayat nomination day. She termed the unfortunate incident as a shame on democracy and demanded re-election.
Violence around the time of elections is normal in India. The atmosphere around elections is intense, with emotions at an all-time high. One such incidence emerged from the Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh. where a Samajwadi Party female worker was maltreated wherein her saree was snatched when she went to file her nomination during the Panchayat Elections, last month which created a stir in the media.
She lashed out at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their silence on the matter. The usual norm is for elections to be reconducted in case of abuse of process. However, in this case, no re-elections were held, thereby denying the women a right to contest elections fairly.
Priyanka calls off protest, blames UP govt for ‘chaos’
Tense Polling Atmosphere
The Panchayat Elections in Uttar Pradesh is a critical juncture leading up to the Assembly Elections next year. While Samajwadi Party claimed victory in the first phase of polls, there wasn’t enough clarity as the independent winners haven’t aligned with any particular party.
The BJP has been under pressure to deliver in the 2nd phase of polling. They need to gain momentum for the rundown to the Assembly Elections.
Sadly, this was not the only reported incident of violence in the Uttar Pradesh Panchayat elections. Reports of violence emerged from various places, including Prayagraj, Ayodhya, Aligarh, and Sonbhadra. In Hathras, which has been the scene of controversy with the gangrape, saw a Samajwadi Party leader getting injured after being shot.
BJP leaders call it a political stunt of Priyanka Gandhi and alleged that BJP had offered their full support in the investigation and subsequent proceedings. Mrs. Gandhi has been running an entire campaign to gain momentum in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the legislative assembly elections next year in 2022.
Panchayat polls where violence took place should be held again: Priyanka
