Through the day of polling in assembly byelections in nine seats in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Samajwadi Party traded charges accusing each other of vitiating the election.
SP leader and MP Akhilesh Yadav took to X to accuse officials and police personnel of becoming puppets of the government. Among Yadav’s demands from the government was that the approach roads to polling booths not be closed; people’s identity cards not be forcibly taken away; time not be wasted when people go for voting and that, if need be, polling time be increased so that more people could exercise their franchise.
Yadav also named certain police officials who he said were working for the government. He said that while the electoral results would be in favour of the INDI alliance, the courts would not spare those officials who were acting on behalf of the government.
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BJP state president Bhupendra Chaudhary accused the Samajwadi Party of trying to turn the election bloody. He said that the party knew that the ground beneath its feet was shifting and so, had given a free reign to the anti-social elements in it. Chaudhary also said that the ‘black deeds’ of those who wore red caps (the Samajwadi party colour) were evident.
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He said that the party had started to play the ‘victim card’ because it was aware of how the byelection results would pan out.
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak who is to address a press conference later in the evening, accused the ‘goondas’ of the Samajwadi Party of threatening voters.
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Pathak also repeated the speculation that a dalit girl who voted for the BJP had been killed in Karhal (Mainpuri) – the seat vacated by Yadav. Though the girl’s family has alleged that she was killed for her political preference, it has not been confirmed by the police.
Pathak has also accused Samajwadi Party workers of donning burqas and thus disguising themselves as voters to cast their ballots fraudulently.
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