SP seeks removal of Rampur DM, SP before bypoll  

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has sought transfer of the District Magistrate and Police Chief of Rampur to ensure a free and fair by-election in the constituency.

A delegation of SP leaders met the state's Chief Electoral Officer Ajay Kumar Shukla on Sunday and demanded transfer of the two officials to ensure a free and fair election.

The SP delegation comprised Leader of Opposition in state Legislative Assembly Ram Govind Chaudhary, Leader of Opposition in UP Legislative Council Ahmed Hasan and party's National Spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary.

In a statement issued here late on Sunday night, Ram Govind Chaudhary said: "The manner in which District Magistrate Aunjaneya Kumar Singh and Superintendent of Police Ajay Pal Sharma in Rampur have created an atmosphere of terror, conducting an impartial bypoll there is impossible."

In the memorandum handed over to Shukla, the party said the district administration and police have, under a well-planned strategy, registered cases against senior SP leader and Rampur MP Mohd Azam Khan and his family members after the Lok Sabha elections.

"Recent events have clearly established that the officials in Rampur are working in favour of the ruling BJP and we cannot expect them to conduct fair elections. The two officers have created a reign of terror in the district by implicating Azam Khan in false cases and, as such, transparent election will not be possible under their supervision," Chaudhary said.

The party leaders claimed that Rampur District Magistrate and Superintendent of police have lodged 86 false FIRs against senior leader Mohd Azam Khan and his family members after the Lok Sabha elections to harass them. They also submitted a detailed account of FIRs and police action against MP Azam Khan.

Eleven Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh are going for bypolls on October 21.

The bypoll in Rampur has been necessitated after Azam Khan became an MP following his election to the Lok Sabha from the Rampur parliamentary seat. Khan, who held the Assembly seat for nine terms, defeated Jaya Prada to win the parliamentary poll.