UP panchayat polls: 71 per cent turnout recorded in first phase, repolling ordered in 2 booths

In Agra’s Fatehabad area, seven people were arrested after they fled with a ballot box. “There was some dispute for the post of gram pradhan in Rihavali village, in the Fatehabad police station area, between two sides. One of the sides fled with the ballot box. A total of seven persons have been arrested,” said Fatehabad Station House Officer (SHO) Pradeep Kumar.

Officers said an additional force was deployed to keep the situation under control.

In Kanpur’s Pipragaon village, some people poured water in a ballot box after allegedly manhandling an election official. A case was lodged against three people in the Bidnu police station. “We have lodged a case against three persons. There was some row after some people alleged that the election officer was favouring one side. Some of the miscreants manhandled the election official, and then poured water in the ballot box. After that, they fled. The accused are absconding,” said Kanpur SP (Outer) Ashtabhuja Singh.

In the first phase, the districts of Saharanpur, Ghaziabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Hathras, Agra, Kanpur Nagar, Jhansi, Mahoba, Prayagraj, Rae Bareli, Hardoi, Ayodhya, Shravasti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Gorakhpur, Jaunpur and Bhadohi went to the polls. The second phase will be held on April 19, the third phase on April 26 and the fourth phase on April 29.