Assembly by-polls in four states: Over 50 per cent polling until 5.00 pm

A voter turnout of over 50 per cent was recorded in by-polls for 15 assembly seats spread across Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala and Uttarakhand on Wednesday, amid stray incidents of violence and complaints of irregularities against police officials and misuse of government machinery.

Acting on complaints by Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav against police officers checking voter cards and Aadhaar IDs, the Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered the suspension of five police personnel in Uttar Pradesh for violating its guidelines on checking of voters and stopping them from casting votes.

Poll officials said nearly 50 per cent voters exercised their franchise by 5.00 pm in Uttar Pradesh. The ECI's update at 5.00 pm showed a voter turnout of 33.30 per cent in Ghaziabad, 56.69 per cent in Katehari, 46.43 per cent in Khair, 57.32 per cent in Kundarki, 53.92 per cent in Karhal, 50.41 per cent in Majhawan, 57.02 per cent in Meerapur, 43.43 per cent in Phulpur, and 49.03 per cent in Sisamau.

The SP claimed that in some places, police personnel were checking IDs and deterring people from voting. The BJP also sought the ECI's intervention to check the identity of burqa-wearing women voters, claiming that their IDs did not match with their faces.

Uttar Pradesh chief election officer Navdeep Rinwa said five police personnel on poll duty have been suspended taking note of the complaints — two each in Kanpur and Muzaffarnagar and one in Moradabad.

An alleged incident of stone-pelting was reported from Kakroli village during voting for the Meerapur by-poll following a confrontation between two groups. Senior superintendent of police Abhishek Singh said police promptly reached the spot and dispersed the crowd using "mild force".

SP candidate Sumbul Rana alleged that the police was harassing voters in the name of checking their identification cards. Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) candidate Mithlesh Pal claimed that she was informed about people from outside the constituency being called in for 'bogus voting'. "These people have been accommodated in madrasas and schools," she alleged. Pal also claimed that bogus voting was being done by "women in burqa".

In a post on X, Akhilesh Yadav said, "All police officers who are checking voter cards and Aadhaar IDs should be immediately suspended on the basis of video evidence. Police have no right to check Aadhaar ID cards or identity cards."

Countering the opposition party's claims, BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla said the Samajwadi Party and its chief are scared of losing the by-polls. "The SP has lost trust in the voters. That is why it has gathered external disruptive elements in the by-poll areas. According to several media reports, the faces of women wearing burqas are not matching with their identity cards," Shukla said.

In neighbouring Uttarakhand, a voter turnout of 56.78 per cent was recorded in the Kedarnath assembly bypoll as of 5.00 pm. The Kedarnath assembly seat in Rudraprayag district fell vacant after the death of BJP MLA Shaila Rani Rawat in July.

In Punjab, a voter turnout of 59.67 per cent was recorded till 5.00 pm in the by-polls in four assembly segments The Gidderbaha seat recorded 78.10 per cent polling, Dera Baba Nanak 59.80 per cent, Barnala 52.70 per cent and Chabbewal 48.01 per cent.

A minor clash took place between AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) and Congress supporters at Dera Pathana village in the Dera Baba Nanak segment. Workers of both parties were also engaged in heated arguments. A heavy police force was deputed at the site to diffuse the situation.

Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, husband of Congress nominee Jatinder Kaur, alleged that some "outsiders" thrashed a Congress party worker at the village at the behest of the AAP, and also alleged inaction on the part of the police. AAP nominee Gurdeep Singh Randhawa, who also reached the spot, rejected Randhawa's allegations as baseless.

In Kerala, polling in the Palakkad assembly by-election saw a turnout of 54.64 per cent. Votes will be counted on 23 November.