Following allegations by the Samajwadi Party (SP) regarding irregularities in the Milkipur by-election in Uttar Pradesh, party chief Akhilesh Yadav launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission.
“This is the manner in which BJP contests elections. The Election Commission is dead. We will have to gift them white cloth,” Yadav told ANI on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Akhilesh Yadav had alleged that police officers were checking the ID cards of voters in Milkipur, creating an atmosphere of intimidation. In a post on X, he called on the Election Commission to take strict action against those involved.
“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,” Yadav posted.
Ayodhya Police Refutes Allegations
In response, Ayodhya Police denied the accusations, clarifying that they were verifying the ID cards of booth agents, not voters. The police urged Yadav to refrain from making “misleading statements.”
In a post on X, Ayodhya Police stated:
“The above photo is of the booth agent’s identity card, the person seen in the photo is a booth agent of a candidate which has been verified by seeing his identity card. Please do not make misleading tweets.”
SP Candidate Alleges Voter Intimidation
Samajwadi Party candidate for Milkipur, Ajit Prasad, also alleged that certain groups were attempting to manipulate voters.
“The votes are in favor of the Samajwadi Party, but some mischievous elements are trying to influence the voters. The police here are also pressurizing the voters to not vote for the Samajwadi Party, but the people of Milkipur are only voting for us,” Prasad told media.
He further claimed that SP’s polling agents were being denied entry into polling stations, stating:
“I am getting complaints that our agents are not being allowed to enter the polling booths.”
The Milkipur assembly constituency recorded a voter turnout of 57.13% in the by-elections held on Wednesday. The results will determine the future political landscape of the region, with tensions running high between the Samajwadi Party and BJP.