Some police and election officials were biased in the Uttar Pradesh bypolls and were stopping Samajwadi Party supporters from reaching polling stations, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged on Wednesday. Yadav’s videos on the X platform urged the Election Commission to act immediately, saying it is the duty of election officers, not the police, to make sure voter IDs are verified.
Yadav told SP supporters: ‘If you are prevented from voting, go back again and again and make sure you vote.’ He urged party workers to record harassment and share evidence so that it could be used for accountability and transparency.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak was quick to dismiss the allegations and said voting is taking place peacefully in all nine constituencies. The SP called it a move to justify a predicted loss and termed Pathak’s allegations baseless. “We stand for free and fair elections and encourage citizens to exercise their voting rights,” he said, providing a different take on Yadav’s accusations.
Voting for nine assembly seats by election continues with reports that over 20 percent of voters have cast their ballot by 11 a.m. In fact, the bypolls are being keenly watched because they could be direct showdowns between the ruling BJP and the opposition SP and help set the tone for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
However, Yadav’s claims have stoked arguments over the bias of the electoral process, with the BJP claiming the elections are transparent. The results of these bypolls could give a sense of voter mood in the run up to other elections in the state as tensions between the two major political factions have reached boiling point.
