Mainpuri by-polls 2022: Security beefed up, sensitive booths identified

Ahead of the high-octane Mainpuri Lok Sabha bypolls on Monday, the administration has stepped up the security with heavy deployment of the security forces, according to an official on Sunday.

Assistant District Election Officer, Mainpuri, Ram Mishra said that the state police, Provincial Armed Constabulary, and paramilitary forces have been deployed.

The official also informed that the entire Mainpuri district has been divided into 28 zones for the elections.

"Polling parties have been leaving from 8 am. Polling parties are leaving for a total of 1,756 polling stations in the district. Mainpuri district is divided into 28 zones and 163 sectors," he said.

He informed that the sensitive booths have been marked.

"A Zonal Magistrate will be posted in each zone. A Sector Magistrate will be posted in each sector. Sensitive and hypersensitive booths have been marked," he said.

The BJP and the Samajwadi Party have conducted a high-decibel campaign hitting out at each other.

The SP has fielded the wife of Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav from the seat, while the BJP has pitted former MP Raghuraj Singh Shakya against her.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has changed all the pre-poll predictions by fielding veteran leader Raghuraj Singh Shakya here.

At present, both parties are putting their full force into the campaign. Late Mulayam Singh Yadav was a continuous MP from here. However, in the last Lok Sabha elections, Mulayam's victory margin was very low. Since then, it was believed that after Mulayam, Mainpuri would not be easy for the SP.

This became clear only in the by-elections that were held after the death of Mulayam Singh Yadav. If political pundits are to be believed, now the matter is 50-50. During a conversation in the Jaswantnagar assembly, an elderly voter admitted that this time the fight is tough. This is the reason Samajwadi Party which used to hold one or two meetings in Mainpuri and only local workers used to ask for votes, is doing a much bigger campaign.

The counting of votes will take place on December 8, coinciding with the results of the Assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.