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Akhilesh reiterates ‘ploy’ to cut 3 cr votes in UP through SIR; charges baseless, says BJP
The SP chief also alleged that the BJP wanted to snatch away the voting rights of crores of people in UP, just as he claimed had happened in Bihar. However, the BJP termed the allegations baseless, claiming Akhilesh was going to lose again in 2027.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday reiterated his allegation that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of India (ECI) were conspiring to cut around three crore votes in Uttar Pradesh through the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He also alleged that the BJP wanted to snatch away the voting rights of crores of people in UP, just as he claimed had happened in Bihar.
However, the BJP termed the allegations baseless, claiming Akhilesh was going to lose again in 2027.
“The BJP is also trying to do something similar in West Bengal,” the Kannauj MP told reporters on the sidelines of a special screening of the movie ‘120 Bahadur’, which he attended along with Bollywood actor-director Farhan Akhtar at a city mall.
“This movie reminds us of our golden history. We have the bravest army, which protects our borders in inhumane conditions. Everyone should watch this movie and see how difficult the terrain is where our forces safeguard the country. I have come to watch a film after a long time,” the SP chief said.
Responding to a question on the SIR, Akhilesh said, “There is a conspiracy by the BJP to delete crores of votes in UP through officers of a specific caste deployed for the drive. I am saying this with full responsibility. Saving our Constitution is the need of the hour. They snatched away voting rights from many people in Bihar recently, and now they are trying to do similar things in West Bengal. There are no socialists left in this government; nor is there secularism. They want to end democracy through the SIR.”
On the deaths of BLOs reported from across the state, the SP chief said, “A Yadav teacher lost his life in Gonda, while a BLO from the Kori community died by suicide in Fatehpur. As per information, BLOs have been under pressure from the government. I have also written in support of the BLOs, even as the government is forcing them to fill in all the forms. With only 8-9 days remaining, there is pressure on them. They may delete the votes of around three crore people in UP. Don’t ask who -- the BJP and EC are the ones.”
On the occasion of Samvidhan Diwas (November 26), Akhilesh said, “I want to say that our Constitution should be strengthened further; the stronger it is, the better it is for democracy. We have seen recently that BJP leaders were celebrating Samvidhan Diwas, but the irony is that they themselves have been conspiring against the Constitution. The biggest right given to us is the right to vote, but now the BJP wants to snatch away this right from crores of people through the SIR.”
Commenting on the recent incident involving a girl from Arunachal Pradesh who faced trouble at an airport in China, the SP chief said the government of India should clearly specify what India’s land area was earlier and what it is now. “The land area of India has been shrinking continuously during the BJP regime. BJP leaders believe in advertisements and propagating concocted facts and figures, but the reality is that China is a hindrance to the development of our country,” he added.
Reacting to allegations, UP BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said Akhilesh Yadav and his party did not have workers or BLAs at booth level. “Each and every action is known by BLAs and information is also shared with political parties by the Election Commission. Allegations by Akhilesh Yadav are baseless and he is just making EC an escape goat as he knows that his party will not win in the 2027 UP polls. After the Bihar assembly election results, Akhilesh Yadav knows he is going to lose again in 2027,” Tripathi said.
