The Ayodhya Police have clarified their stance after Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that police personnel were checking the ID cards of voters in the Milkipur constituency during the ongoing by-polls on Wednesday. In a response posted on X, the police explained that they were only verifying the identity cards of booth agents, not voters.
“The photo in question shows the identity card of a booth agent, not a voter. The individual seen in the image is a booth agent whose ID was verified. Kindly refrain from spreading misleading information,” the Ayodhya Police said in their post.
Yadav had earlier tweeted that police were checking voter ID cards, and called for action from the Election Commission. He demanded the removal of those responsible for the incident, claiming that it amounted to indirect voter intimidation and interference in the democratic process.
“The Election Commission should immediately investigate the photos related to this issue, which show Ayodhya police checking voters’ IDs, with senior officers involved. This act creates fear among voters, indirectly influencing the election process. Such individuals should be removed and face punitive action,” Yadav wrote.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to influence the by-election. “Offering prayers is a matter of faith, and I’ve always practiced it. But today, during the Milkipur bypolls, the BJP has been attempting to influence the elections. I’ve received reports of our party workers being chased away from polling booths,” Prasad stated.
Voting for the Milkipur by-election began on Wednesday morning in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya district. The BJP is aiming to reclaim the Milkipur seat, which is part of the Faizabad constituency, following its surprise loss in the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat last year.
This by-election has become a high-stakes contest, with the BJP seeking revenge for its loss and emphasizing the importance of the seat. The by-poll was triggered by the vacancy created after Awadhesh Prasad vacated the Milkipur seat upon winning the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat.
The outcome of this contest will be decided by the votes of 370,829 residents of the Scheduled Castes (SC)-reserved constituency, with a key battle expected between SP’s Ajit Prasad and BJP’s Chandrabhanu Paswan. Both parties are pulling out all the stops to secure the win in this crucial region.
