Tensions Escalate During Milkipur By-Poll Amid Allegations of Voter Influence

Akhilesh Yadav claims police are checking voter IDs in Milkipur by-poll, calling it a democratic crime. The Samajwadi Party accuses BJP of election interference. Voting began in Milkipur amid heightened stakes for the BJP, eager to regain its stronghold. The SC-reserved seat holds 370,829 voters.

The political climate in Milkipur heated up on Wednesday as Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the local police of interfering with the electoral process. In a statement on social media platform X, Yadav urged the Election Commission to act against officers allegedly examining voter ID cards in the area, stating such actions compromise democratic norms.

SP MP Awadhesh Prasad further alleged that the ruling BJP was attempting to manipulate the by-election process. Expressing concern about party workers being intimidated at polling locations, Prasad highlighted longstanding BJP efforts to sway election outcomes in the strategically important Ayodhya district.

The Milkipur by-election, a critical event for both Samajwadi Party and BJP, is seen as a key contest to reclaim political ground. Occurring in the aftermath of BJP's Lok Sabha loss in Faizabad, the SC-reserved seat's outcome will impact regional power dynamics, with major contenders being SP's Ajit Prasad and BJP's Chandrabhanu Paswan.