Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of election malpractice in the Milkipur by-election in Uttar Pradesh, alleging that the police were checking the ID cards of voters to intimidate them. Yadav also criticised the Election Commission, saying it had failed to take action on the issue.
“This is the manner in which BJP contests elections. Election Commission is dead. We will have to gift them white cloth,” Akhilesh told ANI.
Further, in a post on social media platform X, Yadav demanded the Election Commission take immediate action against those involved, saying that the police were creating fear among voters by checking IDs. He referred to this as a “democratic crime” and called for the removal and punishment of those responsible.
However, the Ayodhya Police responded by clarifying that it was the ID cards of booth agents — not voters — that were being checked. In a statement on social media, they confirmed that the booth agent’s identity was verified and urged Yadav not to spread false information.
Samajwadi Party’s candidate for the Milkipur assembly by-election, Ajit Prasad, also voiced concerns about alleged interference in the voting process. He claimed that while voting was in favor of the Samajwadi Party, certain elements were attempting to influence voters, with the police allegedly pressuring them not to vote for the party. He added that his party’s election agents had been restricted from accessing polling booths.
The Milkipur constituency saw a voter turnout of 57.13% in the by-election held on Wednesday.
In response, the BJP strongly criticised Yadav’s remarks. Party MP Sambit Patra condemned Yadav’s statement about the Election Commission, calling it an attack on a constitutional institution. Patra noted that the opposition has a history of targeting institutions when electoral outcomes do not go their way.
“This is a new low. The Samajwadi Party has no respect for constitutional bodies. Such language has never been used in Parliament proceedings before,” Patra said. BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal also condemned the remarks, saying that the opposition repeatedly attacks constitutional institutions after losing elections. Khandelwal called for an apology from Yadav and the Samajwadi Party, saying their words were an insult to democracy.