Voting Underway For 2 Key Assembly Seats In Uttar Pradesh

Voting in bypolls to Suar and Chhanbey Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh began at 7 am today. The ruling coalition partner Apna Dal (Sonelal) is contesting in both seats. 

Suar assembly seat in Rampur district was declared vacant on February 13 after a Moradabad court sentenced Abdullah Azam Khan, the son of senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, to two years in jail in a 15-year-old case.

Anuradha Chauhan is contesting from this seat on a Samajwadi Party ticket while Shafeek Ahmed Ansari is contesting on Apna Dal (Sonelal) ticket.

In May, the Supreme Court asked Uttar Pradesh Government to file a counter affidavit on Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan's plea challenging the Allahabad High Court order which rejected his plea seeking a stay on his conviction in a matter related to protest case. 

Recently the Allahabad High Court has refused to stay the conviction of Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan in connection with a 2008 protest case, which led to his disqualification as an MLA from the Uttar Pradesh assembly.

The Supreme Court had earlier requested the Allahabad High Court to decide at the earliest Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan's plea seeking a stay of his conviction in a matter related to the protest. Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan claiming that he was a juvenile as of the date of the incident, has challenged the Allahabad High Court order dated March 17.

Abdullah Azam Khan was disqualified from the UP Legislative Assembly after he was convicted and sentenced to two-year imprisonment in a 15-year-old case. Abdulla Azam Khan was representing Suar in Rampur district in the Assembly.

Abdullah Azam Khan, and his father, were convicted by a local court in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly using criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in a matter pertaining to a dharna on a state highway in January 2008. 

Abdullah Azam Khan moved Allahabad High Court against a trial court order seeking suspension of his sentence.

Meanwhile, people lined up outside a polling station in Mirzapur to cast their votes.

The Chhanbey Assembly seat in Mirzapur fell vacant after the death of Apna Dal (Sonelal) MLA Rahul Prakash Kol in February this year.

The party has fielded Koi's wife Rinki Kol who is pitted against Kirti Kol who is contesting as a Samajwadi Party candidate.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)