UP MLC polls: Counting underway for 11 seats, SP candidate expresses confidence in victory
Lucknow: Counting of votes for 11 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council seats began on Tuesday, with Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Sanjay Tripathi expressing confidence in his victory in the Gorakhpur-Faizabad Teachers’ constituency, citing years of hard work and the support of teacher voters.
Speaking in Gorakhpur, Tripathi said he was hopeful of a favourable outcome, adding that the support he had received from teachers had strengthened his confidence.
“I am grateful to God and seek His blessings. This is the result of years of continuous hard work, and today is the time for it to bear fruit. The way I have received the cooperation and support of teacher voters has made me very confident,” he said.
Counting is underway at designated centres across the state amid tight security arrangements. In Lucknow, the counting process is being conducted at the Ramabai Ambedkar Rally Ground, where multi-layer barricading has been put in place. Candidates and their supporters have also gathered at the counting centre.
In another development, counting for the Graduate and Teachers’ constituency elections is underway at Naveen Mandi Samiti. Security has been strengthened at the venue, while traffic diversions have been implemented for heavy vehicles to ensure smooth traffic movement around the counting centre.
Earlier, DIG Shivhari Meena said the Varanasi Police Administration had prepared a three-tier security plan to ensure the peaceful and orderly counting of votes.
“The Varanasi Police Administration has prepared a three-tier security plan for the counting of votes in the MLC election. It includes outer, inner and isolation cordons… Security arrangements are being strengthened, and social media is being monitored. Drones and CCTV cameras have also been deployed to ensure tight security so that the vote-counting process can be conducted smoothly,” he said.
The elections cover five Graduates’ constituencies and six Teachers’ constituencies, with 152 candidates in the fray and 14,81,310 registered voters. A total of 2,697 polling stations were established across 72 districts, while Kanpur Nagar, Kanpur Dehat and Unnao were excluded from the electoral exercise.
The main contest is between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party, although Independent candidates and party rebels are also in the race.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday ordered the immediate suspension of six supervisory officers and initiated disciplinary proceedings against five presiding officers and 16 police personnel over alleged dereliction of duty and supervisory lapses during the biennial election to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council from the Agra Teachers’ constituency, according to media reports.