Akhilesh Yadav alleges rigging of Milkipur bypoll by BJP, seeks action from Election Commission

Lucknow (UP), Feb 5 (PTI) Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday accused the ruling BJP of undermining the democratic process and rigging the Milkipur assembly bypoll in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya.

In a press statement issued by the Samajwadi Party (SP), Yadav urged the Election Commission to take strict action against the "corrupt practices" in Milkipur, emphasising that the byelection had been tainted by "systematic voter suppression and fraudulent activity".

The former UP chief minister claimed that the BJP government, in collusion with local authorities, engaged in "widespread electoral malpractice, including fake voting and intimidation of voters and election agents".

Yadav alleged that SP booth agents were harassed at numerous polling stations and the BJP supporters resorted to violent tactics to influence the outcome of the election. "BJP goons created a chaos at multiple locations and were openly shielded by the police and administration," Yadav said, adding that the police administration allowed them to "freely violate the election code of conduct".

The former chief minister alleged that fake voting was carried out at many booths, including booth number 158, where the "SDM himself reportedly raised concerns with the Election Commission about booth capturing".

Yadav also alleged that "BJP-backed goons" were brought in from outside Delhi to cast fake votes. "One individual admitted to casting six votes," he added.

He cited a particular instance in the Raipatti Amaniganj area where a person confessed to voting fraud. "This is proof that the officials and the BJP are involved in rigging the election," he said.

The SP leader accused the police of creating a climate of fear among voters, preventing many from casting their ballots. Reports of faulty Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were rampant with some booths, like the one at Kutia Amaniganj, experiencing disruptions of more than two hours due to machine malfunctions.

"Despite these issues, voters were denied the chance to vote," Yadav lamented.

He also mentioned that Muslim women were subjected to humiliation, with some forced to remove their burqas for identification purposes.

In addition, the SP accused the election officials and police personnel of influencing voting patterns and dismissing SP agents from several polling booths. "EVM malfunctions were reported at almost every booth, further undermining the election's fairness," Yadav stated.

Yadav alleged that the BJP was destroying the electoral process and claimed that the ruling party was determined to kill democracy. "The BJP has hijacked the election process. What was supposed to be a democratic exercise has turned into a formality," he asserted, adding that government officials were openly engaging in the manipulation of votes.

"The BJP is terrified of losing and is willing to go to any length to secure victory, even if it means destroying the sanctity of democracy," he said.

The Milkipur bypoll has turned into a prestige battle between the SP and the BJP as the seat is part of the politically significant Ayodhya district.

The bypoll was necessitated after Awadhesh Prasad vacated the seat on winning the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Faizabad.

Even as the SP is looking to retain the seat, the BJP sees the election as an opportunity to avenge its loss in Faizabad. In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, Milkipur was the only assembly seat the BJP lost in the Ayodhya district.

According to the Election Commission (EC), 65.25 per cent votes were cast till 5 pm. PTI CDN CDN KSS KSS