MoS Ajay Mishra casts vote in Lakhimpur amid heavy security  |  Photo Credit: ANI
Lakhimpur Kheri: MoS Home Ajay Mishra Teni was escorted by a large number of policemen and paramilitary personnel on Wednesday when he visited a polling booth in Banbirpur of Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri district to cast his vote for the fourth phase of the state elections.
Polling for 59 Assembly constituencies spread across nine districts of Uttar Pradesh is underway in the fourth phase of the polls. The polling will continue till 6 pm.
Lakhimpur, which had hit national news headlines after eight people, including four farmers, were killed in violence last year is among the Assembly seats where voting is being held in the fourth phase.
In this phase, the fate of 624 candidates in 59 Assembly segments in the districts of Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Hardoi, Unnao, Lucknow, Rae Bareli, Banda and Fatehpur.
The minister flashed a “V” or victory sign when reporters raised questions on his son Ashish Mishra, accused of mowing down farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
Ashish Mishra, who was arrested and jailed last October, was released on bail a week ago, amid the UP election campaign.
On October 3, last year, eight people, including four farmers, were killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri district after a farmers’ protest turned violent. Four farmers were allegedly run over by an SUV while the other deceased were identified as two BJP leaders, a driver and a journalist.
In widely-shared videos that drew immense backlash and public’s ire, an SUV was seen knocking down a group of protesting farmers.
The BJP has so far maintained a guarded silence over the incident and Ashish Mishra and his father have also denied that he was driving the SUV.
Elections in Uttar Pradesh are being held in seven phases. The counting of votes will be done on March 10.