UP assembly polls: Ballot boxes binned, SDM suspended

BAREILLY: Sub-divisional magistrate Parul Tarar, who is also returning officer of Bareilly’s

Baheri

assembly constituency, was suspended on Wednesday after three unsealed boxes containing “unused” postal ballots were found dumped in a

garbage cart

. District magistrate Shivkant Dwivedi has also sought an “official explanation” from Tarar about the incident.

The issue came to light on Tuesday evening after the boxes were recovered by workers of Samajwadi Party (SP) inside a garbage bin in Baheri. A probe revealed that the boxes had arrived in the garbage cart of the municipality. This caused an uproar and SP workers surrounded the offices of administrative authorities in protest.

Taking cognisance of the matter, the administration removed Tarar from both positions and replaced her with another officer, Rajendra Chandra.

Dwivedi said, “The ballot boxes were unused. There were no EVMs. However, it was Tarar’s fault that she sent election-related material to the garbage cart. Appropriate action has been taken by the administration. People must maintain law and order in the district.”

Meanwhile, SP candidate from Baheri, Ataur Rehman, alleged that vehicles were going to the counting centre “without proper checks in place”. On Tuesday, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had alleged that EVMs were being “illegally transported” in Varanasi and accused BJP of trying to “steal” the mandate. Yadav also asked people of his party to “keep an eye” on the machines.

Counting of votes for the assembly elections of five states will be held on March 10. Several exit polls showed BJP returning to power again in Uttar Pradesh.