Elections in India must be held through ballot paper: Akhilesh Yadav

Speaking to reporters at the party office in Lucknow on Saturday, Yadav stated, Yesterday, elections were held in a very developed country, the UK, and the voting took place by secret ballot.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday once again advocated for the use of ballot paper for voting, citing recent elections in the United Kingdom as an example, and demanded that elections in India be conducted through ballot paper. Speaking to reporters at the party office in Lucknow on Saturday, Yadav stated, ''Yesterday, elections were held in a very developed country, the UK, and the voting took place by secret ballot. The entire UK voted using ballots. Are we ahead of England? This demand is not new; it has always been a call from socialists. While countries like America, Japan, Germany, and England voted yesterday, we believe it is essential for us to cast votes by ballot.'' He added, ''You (in reference to the BJP) have defeated us using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). We will defeat you again using EVMs and then remove you from power.'' Yadav's statement comes following British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's acknowledgement of the ''very tough'' losses for the Labour Party in recent local elections, which saw significant victories for the anti-immigration Reform UK party. Yadav alleged that during the 2022 UP assembly elections, the BJP conspired to delete voters' names. Many people arrived at polling booths only to find their votes missing or reassigned to different booths, leading to manipulated votes, he claimed. ''The Samajwadi Party submitted the deleted voters' names along with affidavits to the Election Commission, but no action was taken against any of the guilty officials. Further expanding the voter deletion process, the SIR was implemented. People were harassed. The voter list released after the SIR also contained a large number of double and triple votes. In some places, even the deceased had votes. The Samajwadi Party is checking the voter list across the state on its own,'' he said. He also alleged that the Election Commission is not providing technical information and training to parties. ''The EC does not disclose the type of software it uses. Large-scale deletions of votes were reported in West Bengal. Votes were deleted citing errors. There was blatant dishonesty. The BJP is stealing votes and rights. During the SIR, a man from Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh, who didn't know how to sign, used his thumb impression. Using his signature, the BJP used a printed Form 7 to cancel votes for the Samajwadi Party,'' he said. Similarly, in Sarojini Nagar, a conspiracy was formed to cancel votes by filling out multiple forms in the name of Dashrath, he claimed. Companies linked to the BJP filled out Form 7 using the signature of the Samajwadi Party city president to cancel the votes of Samajwadi Party members. The Samajwadi Party lodged a complaint with the Election Commission, but no action was taken, Yadav stated. Commenting on the upcoming 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, Yadav declared, ''We must fight against a multi-layered election mafia. All those committed to saving democracy, the Constitution, and the credibility of constitutional bodies must collaborate.'' When asked about the possibility of a breakup in the SP-Congress alliance in Uttar Pradesh, especially after a social media post featuring him with Mamata Banerjee and MK Stalin, Akhilesh replied, ''Who said that? What about the BJP? They have no work to show. They only spread negativity and divisiveness. These are the people who create conflict and follow the ideology of underground 'sangisathis.''' The SP chief accused the BJP of promoting capitalism, stating, ''No one can spend as much money as the BJP does in elections; it operates like a gang. I've said many times that the public will ultimately defeat them. This time, the public will bring about change.'' Regarding the possible deployment of forces during the UP assembly elections, Yadav mentioned, ''The central forces coming to Uttar Pradesh will be from the North-East and the South. I am telling you this today because, when we went to Bengal, people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were sent there. For the first time, central forces have been granted 15 days' leave after the elections.'' Taking a jab at the BJP, Yadav claimed that many people are aware of the party's formation. He noted a debate within the BJP about whether it would be secular or socialist at the time of its inception. ''In the presidential speech and resolution passed during the BJP's formation, it was declared that the party would follow a socialist and secular path. This was merely a facade; in reality, it became communalist and capitalist. They first brought out JP's (Jayaprakash Narayan) picture on stage to portray themselves as socialists,'' he said. The former chief minister also made a string of promises: ''Girls will receive free bus service and free education from kindergarten to postgraduate levels. Treatment for the poor will be free. Currently, people have to wander around for tests and medications. Free cancer treatment will be provided to poor patients. Yadav expressed concern about the law and order situation in the state, saying, ''Crimes against women and daughters are the highest in Uttar Pradesh. The NCRB data is government data. The government itself is stating that crimes against women and daughters in Uttar Pradesh are the highest in the country. Where has the BJP government's promise of zero tolerance gone? Law enforcement is failing under the BJP government, which claims to uphold zero tolerance,'' he said. He accused the BJP government of discrimination in various forms, stating, ''In Uttar Pradesh, SC-ST communities, along with women, are facing the greatest atrocities.''