In a setback for the Samajwadi Party, the nomination papers filed on its behalf for bypolls in Iglas and Ghosi assembly constituencies were rejected on Tuesday.
The papers filed by Suman Diwakar, a joint candidate of the RLD-SP from Aligarh's Iglas, were rejected by the returning officer (RO) for lack of documents.
In Mau's Ghosi, the RO rejected the nomination papers filed by Sudhakar Singh as an SP candidate. However, the papers he had filed as an independent were found to be correct.
Iglas Returning Officer Anjani Kumar Singh said Diwakar had not deposited Form B and a caste certificate "within the stipulated time" due to which her nomination was rejected.
Diwakar, on the other hand, said she had reached the office of the returning officer at 2.30 pm on Monday with all relevant documents.
Diwakar said she was asked to "wait outside" the office till 2.50 pm, raising suspicion, after which she entered the office before the deadline of 3 pm.
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"The person carrying From B was deliberately prevented from entering the office before 3 pm as part of a conspiracy," she alleged.
RLD state president Masood Ahmad said the "manipulation " was symptomatic of the threat currently faced by the democratic system in the country.
He said has party was "exploring" all legal options.
The returning officer for Ghosi, Vijay Kumar Misra, said the nomination papers of Sudhakar Singh were rejected on the ground that Form A and B submitted by the leader did not carry the signature of party president Akhilesh Yadav.
"But another set of nomination papers submitted by Sudhakar Singh as an independent candidate has been found to be correct," the returning officer pointed out.
The rejection of nomination papers led to protests by the party workers who raised slogans against the government and the local administration at both the places.
The bypolls for 11 assembly seats in the state will be held on October 21.
Meanwhile, the office of the chief electoral officer in Lucknow in a statement said of 155 nomination papers, 40 were rejected, leaving 115 candidates in the fray.