Lucknow: Samajwadi Party national president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav levelled serious allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, accusing it of colluding with officials to manipulate electoral rolls through irregularities and large-scale fraud. He alleged that fake and duplicate voters were being added to the voter list, while votes of PDA (Backward, Dalit and Minority) communities were being deliberately removed.
Addressing a press conference at the Samajwadi Party state headquarters, Yadav questioned the impartiality of the Election Commission, stating that if constitutional institutions fail to function neutrally, public trust in them would erode. He alleged that the BJP government was working arbitrarily and discrimination was prevalent at every level.
Raising concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Yadav said that despite claims that the process would result in a clean and inclusive voter list, several flaws were still surfacing. Displaying a list of over 200 fake and duplicate voters from the Kannauj विधानसभा, he alleged that the BJP, in nexus with certain officials, was creating fraudulent voter entries to weaken the opposition.
Yadav demanded that Aadhaar cards be linked with voter lists to curb irregularities, suggesting that Aadhaar cards be made tamper-proof and integrated with electoral rolls to eliminate fraud and duplication.
He further alleged that the Election Commission appeared “confused” and unprepared for the SIR exercise and questioned who was providing technical support to the Commission. He demanded transparency and said the Samajwadi Party’s technical team should also be briefed on the process. Claiming that the party was not receiving any technical assistance, Yadav urged the Election Commission to provide training facilities or send technical experts to the party office to help identify fake and duplicate voters.
Highlighting another concern, Yadav said that while the Election Commission had earlier assured that mapped voters would not receive notices, notices were now being issued to around 2.22 crore voters citing mapping errors. In total, he claimed, nearly 3.26 crore voters were being served notices without proper information about hearings being shared with political parties, Booth Level Agents (BLAs), or even voters themselves.
He alleged that while Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who are government employees, would be present during hearings, BLAs of political parties were being kept out, increasing the risk of large-scale manipulation. Yadav claimed that officials with a “BJP mindset” were being deployed for hearings, raising serious doubts about fairness.
Referring to observations made by the Supreme Court, Yadav reiterated his claim that SIR was being used as a tool similar to the NRC. He said that when even eminent personalities and families of national heroes were being asked to prove their citizenship, it raised alarming questions about the intent behind the exercise.
Responding to a separate question, Yadav expressed support for Shankaracharya, saying he had exposed “fake Sanatanis” and was standing firmly with truth. He also accused the BJP of misleading the public under the guise of religion.
Speaking on cow protection, Yadav said the Samajwadi Party had deep respect for cows and claimed that he personally owned over 30 cows, adding that cow service was a daily ritual in his household. He recalled that during the Samajwadi Party government, a world-class cow milk plant was set up in Kannauj, producing milk and dairy products in tetra packs, which he alleged was shut down by the BJP government. He said that if the Samajwadi Party returned to power, steps would be taken to increase the cow population and ensure higher procurement prices for cow milk.
Concluding his address, Yadav accused the BJP government of rampant corruption, alleging that contracts worth thousands of crores were being awarded to a select few. He also criticised the design of the proposed Green Corridor project in Lucknow, calling it flawed despite its massive cost.
