UP civic polls: SP leader, 180 others booked for violating conduct code

More than 180 people including a former Samajwadi Party MLA were booked for flouting the election Model Code of Conduct, prohibitory orders and Covid norms after they staged a dharna at a police station following the detention of three persons for allegedly distributing money among voters, officials said on Monday.

The FIR against Mukesh Srivastava and others was lodged on Sunday at the Payagpur police station, they said.

Station House Officer Rajkumar Pandey said it all started after three persons were detained and brought to the police station on Saturday over allegations of distributing money among voters.

After the detention, Srivastava and others reached the police station and sat on a dharna, causing a traffic jam, he said.

Taking note of this, an FIR was registered against them on Sunday for violating Model Code of Conduct for elections, prohibitory orders and Covid-19 provisions, he said.

The urban body polls are scheduled on May 4 and May 11, and the counting of votes will be held on May 13.

In the Payagpur Nagar Panchyat, Srivastava's brother's wife Parul is up against against Seema Singh, the wife of Kapish Singh, considered close of BJP MLA Subhash Singh.

In the 2022 assembly polls, Subhash Singh had defeated SP's Mukesh Srivastava and clashes were witnessed between the supports of the two leaders following the results.