UP: 22 Zila Panchayat Chairmen elected unopposed

In Uttar Pradesh, State Election Commissioner Manoj Kumar on Tuesday announced that 22 Zila Panchayat Chairmen have been declared elected unopposed following completion of withdrawal of nomination papers. In 18 districts candidates were set to be elected unopposed on nomination day as either only one candidate had filed his nomination papers or only one candidate left in fray following rejection of papers of others. These districts are Varanasi, Meerut, Agra, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Amroha, Moradabad, Etawah, Lalitpur, Jhansi, Banda, Chitrakoot, Shravasti, Balrampur, Gonda, Gorakhpur, Mau and Jaunpur.

Of them 17 posts have been occupied by the ruling BJP nominees and only one post from Etawah has gone in the favour of Samajwadi Party. In Amroha and Gorakhpur districts two each candidates had filed their papers and of them one each candidate papers have been rejected during scrutiny of papers. Similarly in Banda district three candidates have filed their papers of them two candidates papers have been rejected. In Bulandshahr, Saharanpur, Shahjahanpur and Pilibhit districts opposition candidates have withdrawn their papers and only BJP nominees were left in the fray. Thay have also been declared elected unopposed.

In remaining 53 districts out of 75 Zila Panchayats Chairman posts polling will be held on July 3,2021from 11 AM to 3 PM and counting of votes will also be held same day. In most of the districts straight fight between two nominees is being observed. Only in 14 districts multi corners contest likely to be held where more than two nominees are left in fray. These districts include Bagpat, Rampur, Badaun, Eatha, Farrukhabad, Unnao, Sitapur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sant Ravidas Nagar Bhadohi, Ghazipur, Azamgarh, Sant Kabir Nagar and Sultanpur. Maximum eight candidates are in contest in Sant Ravidas Nagar Bhadohi district. Opposition Samajwadi Party has alleged that it's candidates were intimidated from filing their papers and also forced to withdraw their papers in several districts. Party has also alleged misuse of government machinery in the favour of ruling BJP.