Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday alleged that voters in West Bengal cast their ballots under pressure during the recent Assembly elections. Yadav accused the BJP of weakening democratic norms in the state.
Addressing reporters in Kolkata, Yadav claimed that the electoral process had been influenced by what he described as excessive pressure on voters and the extensive deployment of central security forces. “I have just met Didi (Mamata Banerjee). Abhishek was also with me. Today, all of us, together, have to stand up to the election fraud. When the election happened honestly, she won, but this time, because of the multi-layered ‘mafiagiri’ that happened in the election, no one could have imagined that this kind of fraud could be done by the BJP, the Election Commission, their associates, the spies, and the underground people,” he said.
“What has happened in Bengal. A way has been found to destroy democracy. No one has probably damaged democracy as much as the BJP has. They can never see a woman rising. Voting has indeed taken place here, but people have voted more under pressure than of their own will,” Yadav said.
He also flagged concerns over reported incidents of violence during the elections, questioning accountability for attacks on political workers and damage to party offices.
Referring to such incidents, Yadav asked who bore responsibility for ensuring security during the polls. “If the votes are cast out of fear of bullets, then who will win? You are scaring the voters with bullets and the Election Commission is not impartial,” he further said.
‘Parallel structure’ to hijack polls?
Yadav further alleged that the scale of central force deployment was unusually large, claiming that “lakhs” of personnel were stationed across the state, creating what he termed a “parallel structure” during the elections.
According to Yadav, such large-scale deployment raises broader questions about the neutrality and balance of election management, particularly when security personnel from outside states are involved. The BJP has not immediately responded to the allegations.
He also claimed irregular deployment of forces and administrative interference during the polls. “Central forces, the Election Commission, and transfer postings – I have observed the UP elections very closely. We complained about numerous officials, yet neither the DGP, the Chief Secretary, nor any district officials were removed. However, during the Bengal elections, they took over the entire structure,” Yadav alleged.