Dalit woman killed after ‘refusing to vote’ for SP in UP’s Karhal Assembly bypoll, sparks political row

A 23-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly abducted and killed in the Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh. Her family alleged on Wednesday that she was killed as she refused to vote in favour of the Samajwadi Party (SP) in the Karhal Assembly bypoll in Uttar Pradesh.

Police in Mainpuri district arrested two persons accused of abducting and killing the woman on Wednesday, news agency PTI reported. Meanwhile, police said the body of the woman was found in a field near Kanjara village on Wednesday morning, according to police.

Mainpuri district police chief Vinod Kumar said a young woman went missing since Tuesday evening. “Her parents have given a statement that their daughter was murdered in order to prevent her from voting for the BJP. Further investigation is underway,” Mainpuri SP was quoted by ANI as saying.

The woman's father lodged a complaint at Karhal police station. He accused Prashant Yadav, a resident of Tapa ki Nagaria, of abducting his daughter. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Yadav is a Samajwadi Party leader.

As per the FIR, the father alleged that his daughter was abducted around 12 pm on Tuesday and later poisoned to death by Yadav with the help of another person named Dr Mohan Katheria.

"Both the accused Dr Mohan Katheria and Prashant Yadav named in FIR have been arrested and further investigation is in progress," Superintendent of Police Vinod Kumar told PTI.

Political row erupts

The issue snowballed into a political controversy with the BJP and the SP trading barbs over the incident.

The BJP accused the SP of "creating an atmosphere of terror" in its bastion. The BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit posted on X, “In Karhal, Samajwadi Party leader Prashant Yadav and his associates murdered a Dalit girl just because she had refused to vote for the 'cycle' (SP's election symbol).”

"In Mainpuri, the Saifai family and Akhilesh Yadav's goons are again trying to create an atmosphere of terror," the BJP alleged. The party also attached a video of the grieving father, along with the X post.

BJP state president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary also took to social media to slam the SP over the issue.

Meanwhile, SP president Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the Election Commission was turning a blind eye and deaf ear to the complaints being raised by his party over BJP's alleged misuse of government machinery to tilt the bypolls in its favour.

Yadav said, “The BJP wants to win these by-elections not by vote but by 'khot'. Fearing a defeat, the BJP is pressuring the administration to indulge in foul play.”

The SP also cast aspersions on the police over its role in Karhal during the bypolls. "In Mainpuri's Karhal assembly constituency, Police Inspector Lalit Bhati is spreading fear in the name of patrolling with the force, which may affect voting. Election Commission should take cognizance and ensure fair voting," the SP posted on X in Hindi along with video of police patrolling.

In family bastion Karhal, SP's Tej Pratap Singh, a grandson of party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, is fighting the bypoll with a contest from his 'fufa' Anujesh Pratap Singh. The BSP has fielded Avanish Kumar Shakya.

Bypolls

Meanwhile, voting took place at nine seats in Uttar Pradesh--Meerapur, Kundarki, Ghaziabad, Khair, Karhal, Sishamau, Phulpur, Katehari, and Majhawan.

The Karhal seat has a total seven candidates, including nominees of Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), Sarvjan Sukhay Party, Sarva Samaj Janata Party and one Independent.

The bypoll was necessitated after Akhilesh Yadav vacated the seat as its MLA upon being elected as the Lok Sabha MP from Kannauj parliamentary constituency earlier this year.