UP Panchayat polls: Violence mar first phase polling, 6 injured

Violence marred the first phase polling of panchayat elections underway in Uttar Pradesh with six persons getting injured in separate incidents of firing and brick-batting.

In Pratapgarh's Raniganj police station area, the tongue of a person, identified as Mushtaq, was cut off after a tiff during polling for post of Kshetra Panchayat member while two persons sustained pellet injuries in a firing incident and were rushed to a hospital in Allahabad, police said.

The presiding officer at a polling station was manhandled by some persons in Etah's Aliganj area, they said.

In Farrukhabad, three persons were injured in incidents of firing and brick-batting among members of rival groups at Mirpur Primary School under Badhpur block.

Shivraj Singh Yadav was shot at and injured by members of the rival group while Dinesh and Mukesh Yadav sustained wounds in the brick-batting that followed. They were admitted to the district hospital in a serious condition. Five persons have been arrested in this connection, police said.

Polling for the first phase of panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh began this morning to elect 20,022 Kshetra Panchayat members and 921 Zila Panchayat members.

Polling is currently underway in 73 districts except Gautam Buddh Nagar and Agra and will come to a close at 17.00 hrs.

In the first phase of polling today, 93 lakh voters are eligible to cast ballots.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made for today's voting in 218 development blocks across the state, officials said.

Over three lakh security personnel, including civil police, PAC, homeguard jawans and villages chowkidars have been deployed to maintain law and order.

Teams of magistrates and police officials have been deputed in all places to keep a tight vigil on the situation.

There are 13,194 candidates for post of Zila Panchyat members and 1,00,912 for Kshetra Panchayat members testing their popularity in the elections.

Panchayat polls in the state are scheduled to to be held in four phases - October 9, 13, 17 and 29.