Allegations of Electoral Misconduct: Samajwadi Party Challenges Election Commission

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has intensified its criticism of the Election Commission, accusing it of turning a blind eye to alleged voter list discrepancies during the 2022 Uttar Pradesh elections. The party likened the commission to the character Dhritarashtra from the Mahabharata, suggesting it silently supported the BJP.

In response, the UP chief electoral officer requested that the SP submit original affidavits from 18,000 voters, as only 3,919 scanned copies have been received so far. The SP claims that the election body acted dishonestly by not addressing their complaints and called for action against officials they allege collaborated with the BJP.

AKhilesh Yadav, the SP president, further accused the BJP and election authorities of manipulating records, asserting that inquiries into the affidavits were inadequately addressed. As district magistrates refuted allegations of voter deletion, the SP maintains that the electoral process was compromised under BJP's influence, a claim the ruling party denies.

(With inputs from agencies.)