Bhagwanpur: The civic elections in Uttarakhand took a dramatic turn when a ruckus broke out at a polling booth in Bhagwanpur. Congress MLA Mamta Rakesh, accompanied by her son and supporters, arrived at the scene and was seen crying profusely, accusing the police of preventing people from voting.
A video of her emotional outburst has rapidly gone viral on social media, raising questions about the fairness of the electoral process.
चुनाव में गड़बड़ी होते देख हरिद्वार जिले की भगवानपुर विधान सभा से कांग्रेस विधायक ममता राकेश फुट फुट कर रोने लगी pic.twitter.com/hQim2XXMX4
— Danish Khan (@danishrmr) January 23, 2025
Ruckus at the polling booth
The voting process for the civic elections in Uttarakhand has concluded, but numerous complaints have surfaced regarding the arrangements at various polling stations. One such complaint emerged from the polling station set up at BD Inter College in Bhagwanpur town. Reports indicate that stones were thrown at women standing in line inside the polling station, leading to chaos. The angry mob retaliated by pelting stones at the police, who responded with a lathicharge to disperse the crowd. This incident created a tense situation in Bhagwanpur.
MLA Mamta Rakesh’s reaction
Following the incident, MLA Mamta Rakesh, along with her son Abhishek Rakesh and supporters, staged a dharna (sit-in protest) at the polling station. During the protest, she was seen crying bitterly, and a video of her emotional outburst has been widely shared on social media. Mamta Rakesh accused the police of preventing people from voting and using excessive force to chase them away. She condemned the police action, calling it a violation of democracy.
Details of the incident
According to information, the polling center for ward five of Nagar Panchayat in Bhagwanpur town was set up for the first time at BD Inter College. Voting proceeded peacefully until 5 PM when the gate of the polling center was closed. At that time, around 200 women and men were still standing in line to vote. Suddenly, some mischievous elements threw stones at the women, causing panic and a stampede. The police lathicharged to control the situation, but the crowd started pelting stones at the police in return. The police then chased the crowd away up to the Bhagwanpur Telephone Exchange.
Political reactions and social media response
The unexpected development on the day of polling in Roorkee civic elections has heated up the political atmosphere. MLA Mamta Rakesh had met State Election Commissioner Sushil Kumar five days prior, expressing concerns about potential irregularities in the election process. She had also claimed that Aadhaar and identity cards were being submitted illegally, which could affect the fairness of the elections. The viral video of Mamta Rakesh crying has elicited mixed reactions on social media, with some sympathizing with her and others dismissing it as political drama.
