Stampede-like situation force Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav to cut short election rally in Prayagraj
May 19, 2024
Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 19 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav were forced to cut short the public meeting in Prayagraj's Phulpur constituency as the crowd broke the barricades and reached the dais, creating a stampede-like situation.
Both the leaders left the rally without addressing the people of the Phulpur constituency in Prayagraj. The campaign rally was organised in support of Amarnath Maurya, who is contesting on an SP ticket for the Phulpur Lok Sabha seat.
The workers of both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party went out of control and attempted to reach the stage to get near Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav. The police were struggling to control the excited crowd that went past the barricades that were put in place.
Voting in the Phulpur Lok Sabha seat will be held on May 25 in the sixth phase of the General elections.
The SP is contesting this seat in alliance with Congress on a 63:17 formula.
In Phulpur, the Samajwadi Party has fielded Amarnath Maurya. He will contest against the BJP's Praveen Patel.
After the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha election concluded, Samajwadi Party chief and candidate from Kannauj Lok Sabha seat Akhilesh Yadav exuded confidence in winning and said that people are supporting the INDIA bloc as they feel "cheated by the BJP."
"INDIA alliance will win. The people are supporting the INDIA alliance. The people feel cheated by the BJP," he said.
Notably, polling for the Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh is being held across all seven phases. Voting in the first four phases has already been completed, while the remaining phases are scheduled for May 20, May 25, and June 1.
The counting of votes for all phases has been scheduled for June 4.In the 2019 polls, the BJP mopped up the bulk of the electoral spoils in the state, winning 62 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats, while ally Apna Dal (S) won two more seats.
Mayawati's BSP managed to secure 10 seats, while her then-alliance partner, Akhilesh Yadav's SP, had to settle for just 5 seats. The Congress won just a lone seat in the state.In the 2014 elections, the BJP swept UP, winning 71 seats, while the Congress could only bag 2.
