Akhilesh Yadav alleges ‘bogus voting’, blames officials and BJP for UP by-poll irregularities

Yadav also took a swipe at the three-day Uttar Pradesh Assembly session, calling it unnecessary and symbolic.

Amid controversy over the Bihar Special Intensive Revision exercise, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav has levelled serious allegations of bogus voting and irregularities in the Uttar Pradesh by-elections held on nine assembly seats in November 2024.

Speaking to ANI, Yadav claimed that the BJP used its influence and the police to manipulate votes, and called on the Election Commission to take strong action against district officials involved in the polls.

Call for strict action

Yadav said that discrepancies in the voter list and instances of bogus voting could be eliminated if the District Magistrates (DMs) of the by-poll constituencies were suspended or terminated.

“When you have so many resources available, the Election Commission and the government should have solid arrangements to ensure there is no bogus voting. The BJP is an expert in manipulating votes… When they ran short of votes, they pushed forward the police,” he alleged.

Accusations against CM and officials

Referring to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s claim that Bihar Deputy CM Vijay Sinha had two EPIC numbers, the SP chief accused Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath of facilitating “vote loot” in his state.

Yadav also alleged that officials actively discouraged people from voting in certain constituencies, citing incidents in Ayodhya, Mirapur, and Kundarki, where he claimed commissioners, SSPs, and DMs moved with security forces to intimidate voters.

“Did we not see a revolver being aimed at women? Was the Election Commission sleeping? When officers become criminals to loot votes, who will take action?” he asked.

Criticism of Assembly session

Yadav also took a swipe at the three-day Uttar Pradesh Assembly session, calling it unnecessary and symbolic.

“They should have conducted a three-hour session. You did no work in nine years, and now you want people to stay awake for 24 hours. What madness is this?” he said.