SP alleges VVPAT shows 'lotus' when 'cycle' button pressed; wants DGP removed

Lucknow: Opposition Samajwadi Party Monday urged the Election Commission to remove Uttar Pardesh's police chief OP Singh from the post, alleging he was "favouring" the ruling BJP and trying to influence elections.

The party also alleged that in at at least two polling booths in Kannauj the Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machine showed the voting for the BJP when the ballot was cast for the SP.

It also claimed the police issued warning notes to "a large number" of SP supporters in the constituency, from where Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple is contesting, asking them to remain inside their houses after casting their own votes.

Party leader Dharmendra Yadav said Director General of Police OP Singh was "misusing" government machinery to help the BJP.

"We demanded from the EC to remove him immediately," he told reporters here.

He was part of a SP delegation that met Chief Electoral Officer L Venkatenshwar Lu and submitted a memorandum demanding immediate removal of the DGP. It also highlighted the issue of "faulty" EVMs.

"The police are terrorising minority voters. The force is being misused in favour of the BJP. We have apprised the CEO about it," SP spokesman Rajendra Chowdhury said.

The memorandum highlighted specific details about booths in Kannauj where EVMs are allegedly malfunctioning.

In booth number 482 and 483, the party claimed, the VVPAT showed 'lotus' (BJP poll symbol) slip, when 'cycle' (SP poll symbol) button was pressed.

Chowdhury alleged that a police inspector in Kannauj was working as a "BJP agent". The SP delegation requested the CEO to look into the matter to ensure free and fair polls.

Giving details, MLC Rajpal Kashyap said that from booth number 197 in the Tirwa assembly segment (Kannauj) SP booth agents were taken away by the police "on directions of the local BJP MLA".

Kashyap alleged that on booth number 92 of the same area, BJP agents "snatched" voters slips from people and cast votes themselves with "the help of police".

The party also alleged that "red cards" (warning notes) were issued to a large number of SP supporters by the police restricting them in their houses.

"You can affect peaceful polls. After casting your votes, you should take rest in your house. Do not roam outside," reads a "red cards" issued to one Indra Kumar Gupta of Gursahayganj.

Kashyap alleged, "The police are openly working as BJP workers and specific details have been sent to the EC."                

A senior EC official said, "We have received memorandum of the SP. We will look into it."