Akhilesh Yadav Warns of Nepal-Style Protests Over Vote Theft Allegations

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has issued a stern warning to the Election Commission, cautioning that failures to prevent vote theft could spark public unrest similar to recent protests in Nepal. Although he refrained from explicitly naming Nepal in a press conference, Yadav emphasized the importance of safeguarding electoral integrity.

Yadav's comments resonate with the INDIA bloc's allegations, led by Congress and Rahul Gandhi, of large-scale electoral fraud in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Gandhi specifically pointed to voting irregularities in Karnataka's Bangalore Central constituency, citing over 1 lakh fake voters and methods like duplicate registrations and fake addresses. The Congress has launched an extensive "Vote Chori" campaign to push for transparent voter rolls, receiving backing from parties like the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party.

Meanwhile, similar sentiments were echoed by Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut, who drew parallels with anti-corruption movements in Nepal and warned of potential consequences if such issues persist in India. Raut suggested that while India's faith in Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent ideology has maintained stability, continuous governance failures could ignite significant unrest.