"Party workers and leaders are being locked up in Mainpuri": SP chief Akhilesh alleges

Saifai (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 7 (ANI): Amid the ongoing third phase of the Lok Sabha election, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged on Tuesday that the behaviour of the police and administration is not right and in Mainpuri, party workers have been locked up.
"The behaviour of the police and the administration is not right. The BJP will be wiped out in this phase. Police are beating people in the Sambhal and we are getting information from Mainpuri that Samajwadi Party workers and leaders are being locked up. The ministers, their associates and family members are roaming freely. Therefore, I want to appeal to people to come out and vote and save democracy. I hope that the Election Commission will take action on it," he said.
Earlier today, Akhilesh and his wife and SP candidate from Mainpuri Lok Sabha Seat, Dimple Yadav cast their vote at a polling station in Uttar Pradesh's Saifai.
After casting his vote, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav claimed that the ruling BJP party would face a very bad defeat as people of every section were upset with the government.
Speaking with the reporters, Akhilesh Yadav said, "BJP is going to have a very bad defeat because farmers, youth, businessmen, people of every section are upset with them."
Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh, voting is underway in 10 seats: Sambhal, Hathras, Mainpuri, Agra (SC), Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad, Etah, Budaun, Aonla, and Bareilly.
In this phase, more than 1300 candidates, including around 120 women, are in the fray.
A total of 17.24 crore voters are eligible to cast their franchise in this phase at 1.85 lakh polling stations.
Prominent leaders to contest in today's poll battle include Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former Madhya Pradesh chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Digvijaya Singh, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Samajwadi Party leader Dimple Yadav, and NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule, among others.
In the 2019 elections, voter participation was commendable, with a notable 61.7 per cent voter turnout.
The BJP emerged triumphant, securing 62 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, while two seats were clinched by its ally Apna Dal (S). Mayawati's BSP managed to secure 10 seats, while Akhilesh Yadav's SP garnered five and the Congress Party secured only one seat. (ANI)