Mainpuri bypolls: SP demands Election Commission to conduct elections under high-level officials

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 2 : Ahead of the Mainpuri Lok Sabha by-election, the Samajwadi Party has demanded the Election Commission to send a team of high-level officials of the Commission to the constituency and conduct the polls under their supervision.
The Mainpuri seat, considered a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party, will be going to the bypoll on December 5.
The Election Commission on Thursday directed the chief election officer of Uttar Pradesh to ensure that force deployment relating to ongoing bye-election to the Mainpuri constituency is done strictly under the supervision of the general and police observer concerned following the laid-down procedure of randomization, among others.
Randomization of the local police force is a cornerstone of extant instruction of the Commission to ensure fairness.
To ensure a free, fair and peaceful election, all DEOs of election-bound districts have also been directed to ensure that the Commission's extant instructions, relevant provisions of law and the Model Code of Conduct are complied with in letter and spirit.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has sought explanations from senior superintendents of police (SSP) of Mainpuri and Etawah for violation of the poll panel's instructions on the transfer and posting of police officers in view of the bye-elections to the polls.
With reference to the representation received from Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Ramgopal Yadav, the Commission directed the SSP, Mainpuri to immediately relieve the sub-inspectors Suresh Chand, Kadir Shah, Sudhir Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Satya Bhan and Raj Kumar Goswami, falling under the said transfer and posting policy, from the police stations in respective Assembly segments where they are presently posted.
SSP, Mainpuri was directed to submit an explanation to the Commission on why disciplinary proceedings should not be initiated against him for non-compliance with the panel's extant instructions and relevant provisions of the Model Code of Conduct while carrying out the transfer and posting of police personnel.
SSP Etawah was also directed to explain why disciplinary proceedings should not be initiated against him for granting long leave to the four SHOs of police stations of Vaidpura, Bharthana, Jaswantnagar and Chaubiya, without prior permission of the Commission after imposition of the Model Code.