Akhilesh Yadav warns of BJP ‘plots’ to delete opposition votes in UP
SP chief says 50,000 voters targeted per assembly seat under SIR
Lucknow: Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav has alleged a major conspiracy by the BJP and sections of the Uttar Pradesh administration to delete tens of thousands of opposition votes during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Akhilesh Yadav said in Lucknow that the ruling BJP is manipulating the SIR process to remove up to 50,000 voters in each assembly constituency, particularly in areas where the SP performed strongly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He said the party has “ample evidence” showing administrative officials acting in coordination with BJP leaders to identify and remove opposition supporters from the rolls.
Referring to a viral audio clip of an SDM in Kannauj, the SP chief said it proves the tampering is “systematic, not isolated.” He added that similar trends were visible in Bihar and West Bengal, alleging that around six million votes of the RJD and other opposition parties were removed during earlier revisions in Bihar.
Akhilesh Yadav criticised the timing of the SIR exercise, noting that Booth Level Officers were neither trained properly nor conducting door-to-door verification. Conducting the process during peak wedding and farming season, he said, makes accurate verification impossible.
Demanding an extension of the SIR deadline, he said the BJP, “fearing defeat on public issues, has found a new way to win elections.” He urged the Election Commission to issue a uniform Standard Operating Procedure for all political parties to ensure transparency in the revision exercise.
He warned that SP workers across the state are alert and will not allow any “conspiracy to cut votes” in any assembly constituency.
