Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday slammed the BJP over allegations regarding the Milkipur by-election in Uttar Pradesh, accusing the ruling party of unethical election tactics and claiming that the Election Commission (EC) is inactive.
“This is how the BJP contests elections. The Election Commission is dead. We will have to gift them white cloth,” Yadav told ANI, expressing his frustration over the alleged irregularities.
The controversy emerged on Wednesday when Yadav accused the police of checking voters’ ID cards at polling stations. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he demanded that the Election Commission take action against those responsible for the alleged misconduct. “The Election Commission should immediately look into the photos showing Ayodhya police checking the ID cards of voters in Milkipur, where even senior police officers are involved. This is a democratic crime, meant to intimidate voters and indirectly influence their decisions. Such officials should be removed immediately, and punitive action should be taken,” he stated.
However, the Ayodhya Police swiftly responded, refuting Yadav’s allegations. They clarified that the police were verifying the ID cards of booth agents, not voters. “The photo in question shows a booth agent’s identity card being checked. Please do not spread misleading information,” the police posted on X.
Earlier, Ajit Prasad, the Samajwadi Party candidate for the Milkipur by-election, also raised concerns about the voting process. He claimed that while votes were leaning in favor of the SP, certain “mischievous elements” were attempting to sway voters. Prasad further alleged that police were pressuring voters to avoid supporting the Samajwadi Party. “The people of Milkipur are voting for us, but some are trying to influence the process,” he said.
Additionally, Prasad voiced concerns about his party’s election agents being denied access to polling booths, saying he had received complaints that SP agents were not being allowed inside.
The Milkipur assembly by-election, held on Wednesday, recorded a voter turnout of 57.13%.
