Uttarakhand: Uproar in Kichha over the strong room; MLA Behar and former MLA Shukla clash, while the Congress candidate expresses apprehension about the swapping of ballot boxes

A dispute over the security of the strong room and the ballot boxes intensified following the municipal elections in the Kichha Municipality and Sirauli Kalan Nagar Panchayat in Udham Singh Nagar district. Rajesh Pratap Singh, the Congress candidate for the post of Municipal Council Chairperson, demanded an inquiry by the Election Commission and the administration, expressing apprehension that six ballot boxes might have been swapped. During the dispute, Congress MLA Tilakraj Behar and former BJP MLA Rajesh Shukla confronted each other. Police had to intervene following a heated exchange between the two sides. There has been no independent verification of the allegations regarding the swapping of ballot boxes or any form of rigging.

Dispute sparked by a tarpaulin sheet

Congress MLA Tilakraj Behar staged a sit-in protest over the security arrangements at the strong room and a tarpaulin sheet installed in front of it. Shortly after, Congress candidate Rajesh Pratap Singh also joined the protest along with his supporters. As the situation escalated, the police and administration deployed additional forces at the site.

Meanwhile, BJP state spokesperson and former Kichha MLA Rajesh Shukla also arrived at the scene. A heated exchange ensued between the Congress leaders and the BJP leader upon his arrival, with both sides trading accusations. Reports also emerged of a scuffle breaking out between Rajesh Shukla and Rajesh Pratap Singh. Bringing the situation under control, the police detained MLA Tilakraj Behar and former MLA Rajesh Shukla.

MLA Behar alleges assault

Tilakraj Behar alleged that Rajesh Shukla and his supporters assaulted him, while Rajesh Shukla alleged that he was assaulted by Congress supporters. There has been no independent verification of the allegations made by either side. Rajesh Shukla later stated that if anyone objected to his political activity, he was even prepared to retire from politics.

Uproar over ballot boxes late at night

Late at night, after voting had concluded, Congress candidate Rajesh Pratap Singh raised questions regarding six ballot boxes kept in the strong room. He alleged that there was a risk of these ballot boxes being swapped and claimed that double stamps marked against the name ‘Jaggu’ had been detected on some of them. He urged the Election Commission to investigate the matter and review security arrangements.

Former MLA Rajkumar Thukral also arrived at the scene late at night and backed Rajesh Pratap Singh’s allegations. He demanded clarification regarding six ballot boxes and asserted that the Congress candidate would win if the votes were counted immediately. This is a political claim and has not been independently verified, as the vote-counting results are not yet available.

Congress Seeks Action from the Commission

State Congress President Ganesh Godiyal wrote to the State Election Commission regarding the electoral process in Kichha and Sirauli Kalan, demanding that the safety of candidates and party workers be ensured. The Congress has accused BJP workers and local leaders of assault.

Former Chief Minister Harish Rawat also reacted to the incident, urging the Election Commission to take immediate cognizance of the matter. He alleged that Congress candidate and MLA Tilakraj Behar was assaulted when he went to inspect the strongroom. These statements constitute political allegations.

BJP Dismisses Allegations as Rumors

BJP state spokesperson and former Kichha MLA Rajesh Shukla dismissed the Congress’s allegations regarding ballot box tampering. He stated that the Congress had already conceded defeat and was spreading rumors that the BJP intended to secure victory by tampering with the ballot boxes.

The contest for the post of Kichha Municipal Council Chairperson is between the BJP’s Sandeep Arora and the Congress’s Rajesh Pratap Singh. Following the polling, the ballot boxes have been stored in a strongroom. The matter regarding the vote counting is currently pending in court, and the counting has been postponed until further orders. A police force has been deployed outside the strongroom.