Lucknow | Samajwadi Party national president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday alleged large-scale irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, accusing the BJP of colluding with the Election Commission to manipulate voter lists and suppress votes of PDA communities, particularly minorities.
Addressing a press conference at the Samajwadi Party state headquarters, Yadav claimed that the Election Commission was acting like an “ally of the BJP” and was ignoring clear violations of election laws despite evidence of forgery and fraud. “If the Election Commission continues to function in this manner, it should put up a BJP flag on its building,” he remarked.
Allegations of Misuse of Form 7
Yadav alleged that Form 7, used for deletion of names from electoral rolls, was being misused on a large scale. He demanded that the Election Commission immediately stop accepting Form 7 applications, arguing that once the SIR and mapping exercises had been completed, there was no justification for further deletions.
“The BJP is getting fake signatures done to delete votes of PDA communities and especially minorities,” Yadav said, adding that Samajwadi Party workers, PDA sentinels, YouTubers and journalists were exposing such alleged fraud across the state.
Claims of Targeted Booth-Level Manipulation
According to Yadav, the BJP had hired professional agencies with access to booth-level data across Uttar Pradesh, including information on booths where the Samajwadi Party had won elections. He alleged that fake Form 7 applications were being submitted in these booths to selectively remove voters.
He further claimed that similar tactics had been used in Bihar, where, according to him, manipulation during the SIR process played a role in creating pressure and influencing the electoral environment. Yadav alleged that a similar situation was now being created in West Bengal, echoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s charge that the Election Commission was acting in favour of the BJP.
“This is not SIR, this is NRC,” Yadav said, alleging that the exercise was being used to disenfranchise voters.
Case from Sultanpur Highlighted
During the press conference, Yadav highlighted a case from the Sultanpur Sadar Assembly constituency, where he alleged that BJP workers submitted Form 7 applications with forged signatures in the name of a voter, Nandlal, to delete multiple voters from the electoral roll.
Yadav publicly honoured Nandlal with ₹1 lakh, praising his courage for exposing the alleged fraud. He said Nandlal does not sign documents and instead uses a thumb impression, but his name was misused with a forged signature to seek deletion of votes.
He also mentioned individuals named Dashrath Kumar and Nandlal, saying their cooperation had helped expose the alleged irregularities. “This kind of forgery is happening across the state,” he alleged.
Demand for Legal Action
Citing Election Commission rules, Yadav said that providing false information or submitting applications on behalf of others to delete names from voter lists is punishable under Sections 31 and 32. He expressed hope that, following these revelations, cases would be registered against BJP leaders allegedly involved in electoral fraud.
Appeal to Party Legislators and Election Officials
Yadav urged all Samajwadi Party MLAs to bring forward at least one individual from their constituencies to expose alleged voter list manipulation. Questioning the BJP’s conduct, he asked why the ruling party was “afraid of honest elections.”
He also criticised the Election Commission for failing to act impartially. “The responsibility of the Election Commission is to strengthen the system. A strong system strengthens democracy. Weakening the system means weakening democracy,” he said.
Concerns Over BLOs
The Samajwadi Party chief also raised concerns about the condition of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), alleging that they had neither received adequate training nor support. He claimed that some BLOs had died during the course of their duties and that the government had failed to assist their families.
Yadav alleged that BLOs were being pressured and tempted to carry out wrongful acts, warning that while senior officials might escape accountability, BLOs would ultimately face action if irregularities were found. He added that despite these challenges, many BLOs were standing firm to protect democracy and refusing to bow to political pressure.
The allegations have added to the growing political confrontation over electoral processes as the state moves closer to upcoming elections.
