Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday accused the BJP of manipulating elections and warned that Uttar Pradesh could witness protests similar to those in Nepal if “vote theft” continued.
Yadav was speaking at the SP headquarters, where he honoured families of farmers who died during the farmers’ agitation. Wearing a red turban and appearing in a Sardar look, he said, “The red turban is a symbol of happiness. That happiness is about to return, because a Samajwadi government is going to be formed.”
Linking the political unrest in Nepal with the situation in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav alleged that institutions had been “captured” under the BJP govt. “Here Baba has captured everything. The Election Commission should not become a jugad commission for the BJP,” he said, in a dig at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
He further alleged that during the Ayodhya Assembly polls, around 5,000 outsiders were brought in to influence the result. “If such theft of votes continues, what you are seeing in Nepal today could be repeated in Uttar Pradesh tomorrow,” Yadav warned.
The SP chief’s remarks come ahead of by-elections in the state, which are being closely watched as a test of strength between the ruling BJP and the Opposition. While the BJP has been focusing on development and the Ram temple project, the SP is seeking to highlight farmer issues and what it calls the erosion of democratic institutions.
The BJP dismissed Yadav’s charges, calling them baseless. “The SP knows it has lost ground in Uttar Pradesh. Instead of talking about governance or development, Akhilesh Yadav is trying to incite people by drawing unnecessary parallels with Nepal. Elections in India are free and fair, and his allegations are the frustration of a losing party,” a senior BJP leader said.