After vote chori, Akhilesh Yadav says 'vote dacoity'; demands electoral reforms

New Delhi: Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav launched a sharp attack on the ruling BJP during a discussion in the Lok Sabha, alleging misuse of administrative machinery and raising questions over electoral reforms.

Referring to the recent by-election in Rampur and Farukhabad, Yadav claimed that on the day of voting, police and officials ensured that people did not leave their homes, which he said directly affected voter turnout.

He pointed out that this was the first time the BJP managed to win from Rampur, and added that his party had submitted evidence of such incidents to the Election Commission, but no action was taken.

"This was not vote chori but vote dacoity in by-elections," Akhilesh Yadav alleged, IANS reported.

Turning to the issue of electoral bonds, Yadav alleged that the BJP had received the largest share of funds, followed by the Congress, while regional parties were left struggling.

"We received nothing," he said. They command the largest share of election spending, followed closely by Congress, leaving regional parties questioning how they can compete -- an imbalance that highlights the skew in campaign financing.

He also raised concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Uttar Pradesh, claiming that the exercise had already cost the lives of 10 Booth Level Officers (BLOs).

Reading out a list of nine BLOs who lost their lives during the ongoing SIR in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav said his party had extended financial support of Rs 2 lakh to one bereaved family but demanded that the government provide Rs one crore in compensation and a job to a family member of each victim.

He questioned whether the training given to BLOs is sufficient and alleged that discussions around SIR were linked to the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), with rumours of detention centres being set up under the pretext of identifying “ghuspethias” (intruders).

Yadav reminded the House that the SP was the largest party in the last Uttar Pradesh elections but accused the BJP of creating a communal atmosphere that influenced outcomes.

He cited the victory of SP MP Awadhesh Prasad from Faizabad, home to Ayodhya, as an example of how communal polarisation shaped results.

Calling for reforms, Yadav supported Congress’ suggestions to restructure the process of appointing the Election Commission and to return to ballot paper voting. “If advanced nations like Germany and the United States are voting by paper, why are we using EVMs?” he asked.

Concluding his remarks, Yadav declared, “This is not vote-chori, this is vote dacoity. If unbiased elections are held, you will not win a single seat.”