Akhilesh alleges electoral Misconduct in Milkipur Bypoll, calls ECI 'dead'

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav claimed that police officials were illegally checking voters' ID cards at polling centres, creating an atmosphere of fear and indirectly influencing voting pattern

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has launched a scathing attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging electoral malpractice during Uttar Pradesh’s Milkipur bypolls and declaring the Election Commission as “dead”.

 

Addressing the media on Thursday, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister accused the BJP of voter suppression with police assistance. “This is how the BJP contests elections. The Election Commission is dead. We will have to give them white cloth,” Yadav told ANI.

 

Allegations of voter intimidation and poll rigging

 

Yadav claimed that police officials were illegally checking voters’ ID cards at polling centres, creating an atmosphere of fear and indirectly influencing voting patterns. The Milkipur by-election, held on Wednesday, witnessed a 57.13 per cent voter turnout.

 

Demanding urgent action from the Election Commission, Yadav took to social media platform X, stating, “The Election Commission should immediately take cognizance of the pictures related to this news that Ayodhya police is checking the ID cards of voters in Milkipur, in which senior police officers are also involved. This is a democratic crime of indirectly influencing voting by creating fear among voters. Such people should be removed immediately, and punitive action should be taken.”

 

The SP leader further alleged that BJP supporters, under police protection, disrupted voting at multiple locations. He pointed out that Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) malfunctions delayed polling at Kutia Amaniganj for over two hours, preventing many voters from casting their votes.

 

Ayodhya police and BJP dismiss allegations

 

Countering Yadav’s claims, Ayodhya police clarified that they were only verifying booth agents’ credentials, not voters’ ID cards. In a statement on X, the police said, “The above photo is of a booth agent’s identity card. The person seen in the photo is a booth agent of a candidate, which has been verified by checking his identity card. Please do not make misleading tweets.”

 

BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi dismissed the allegations, calling them a sign of SP’s desperation. “The Samajwadi Party is spreading lies out of frustration after its imminent loss in Milkipur. Yadav will soon blame EVMs for his defeat, as he has done before,” Tripathi remarked.

 

SP candidate alleges polling booth interference

 

Ajit Prasad, SP’s candidate for the Milkipur by-election, echoed Yadav’s concerns, alleging interference by BJP-backed elements. He claimed, “The votes are in favour of the Samajwadi Party, but some mischievous elements are trying to influence voters. The police are also pressuring people not to vote for us, but the people of Milkipur are determined to support us.”

 

Prasad also stated that several SP polling agents were denied entry into booths. “I am receiving complaints that our agents are being restricted from polling stations, which raises serious concerns about fairness,” he said.

 

[With inputs from agencies]