Amid the controversy surrounding Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision exercise, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav has accused the BJP of orchestrating bogus voting and irregularities during the Uttar Pradesh by-elections for nine assembly seats held in November 2024.
In an interview with ANI, Yadav alleged that the BJP leveraged its influence and used the police to manipulate votes, urging the Election Commission to take strict action against district officials involved in the process.
Demand for strict action
Yadav argued that discrepancies in voter lists and cases of bogus voting could be prevented if the District Magistrates (DMs) of the by-poll constituencies were suspended or dismissed.
“With the resources at their disposal, the Election Commission and the government should ensure that bogus voting is impossible. The BJP is adept at manipulating votes… When they lacked votes, they deployed the police,” he claimed.
Accusations against CM and officials
Citing RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s allegation that Bihar Deputy CM Vijay Sinha held two EPIC numbers, the SP chief accused Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath of enabling “vote loot” in the state.
He further alleged that officials actively discouraged voters in certain constituencies, pointing to incidents in Ayodhya, Mirapur, and Kundarki, where commissioners, SSPs, and DMs allegedly moved with security forces to intimidate voters.
“Did we not see a revolver being aimed at women? Was the Election Commission asleep? When officers turn into criminals to loot votes, who will act?” Yadav questioned.
Criticism of Assembly session
Yadav also mocked the three-day Uttar Pradesh Assembly session, calling it unnecessary and purely symbolic.
“They could have held a three-hour session. You did nothing in nine years, and now you want people to stay awake for 24 hours. What kind of madness is this?” he remarked.