Mainpuri bypolls: Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav to cast vote in Saifai today

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 5 (ANI): Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and his wife Dimple Yadav will cast their votes in Saifai for the Mainpuri Lok Sabha bypoll on Monday.  

The Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after the death of Akhilesh’s father, SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, on October 10. Mulayam’s daughter-in-law and Akhilesh’s wife Dimple Yadav, a former MP, is the party candidate in Mainpuri.

Samajwadi Party leaders including senior party leader Shivpal Yadav will cast their votes at 10 am at Abhinav School in Saifai.

Bharatiya Janata Party's Raghuraj Singh Shakya is contesting from Mainpuri.

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

The seat had been represented by Mulayam Singh Yadav for five times since 1996 while other SP nominees have won it a number of times.

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.

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

The administration has stepped up security with heavy deployment of the security forces, according to an official on Sunday.

Entire Mainpuri has been divided into 28 zones and 163 sectors with 1,756 polling stations in the district.

Mainpuri Assistant District Election Officer, 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.

(ANI)