Muzaffarnagar bypoll: Victory processions banned

MUZAFFARNAGAR (UP): With counting for Muzaffarnagar assembly by-polls underway, authorities today banned victory processions, including celebratory firing, to maintain law and order in the district.

Victory processions, including celebratory firing, have been banned to avoid any untoward incident while prohibitory orders are in place for peaceful counting of votes, District Magistrate, Nikhil Chand Chatervedi told reporters here.

The counting of votes started at 8 AM. Twenty candidates, include Kapil Aggarwal (BJP), Gaurav Swrop (SP), Salman Saeed (Congress) and Pankaj Bhardwaj (Shiv Sena), are in the fray for the by-election to the seat.

On February 8, an eight-year-old boy was killed in a celebratory firing by Samajwadi Party workers at Kairana town in Shamli district, triggering protests by locals and disrupting law and order.