Akhilesh alleges large scale rigging in Milkipur byelection

Akhilesh Yadav accuses BJP of rigging Milkipur byelection, declares Election Commission "dead" for failing to prevent malpractice.

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday (February 6 , 2025) alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) indulged in large scale rigging with assistance from the administration in Milkipur byelection and declared the Election Commission of India as “dead” for failing to prevent malpractice despite overwhelming evidence of foul play in the byelection.

“The Election Commission is completely dead; the Election Commission has killed its conscience and has mortgaged it to the BJP. We will have to gift them white cloth. The Election Commission helps the BJP and not acted upon the overwhelming evidence of foul play and large-scale rigging in Milkipur,” Mr. Yadav said outside Parliament in New Delhi.

In a symbolic move, the SP MPs carried a white funeral shroud with the words ‘Election Commission’ imprinted atop, and asked the electoral body to wear it in light of its conduct.

Mr. Yadav added that free and fair election is the Constitutional right of the people of India while accusing the BJP and the EC for snatching away these basic rights. “In the 2022 Assembly elections, 2024 Lok Sabha elections and 2024-25 byelections including Milkipur, the BJP and the Election Commission together have looted the public opinion and committed massive dishonesty,” he said.

The SP leader further hit out at the U.P. government for allegedly destroying democracy in the country claimed the BJP is in government by seizing power against the public opinion. “The SP submitted nearly 500 complaints to the Election Commission, alleging rigging, fake voting, and intimidation and removal of booth agents by BJP-backed individuals. However, the EC has failed to address any of the complaints,” Mr. Yadav alleged.

On voting day, the SP accused the administration of deploying election officers and workers based on caste, adding instructions were sent directly from BJP headquarters in Lucknow to do rigging. The Milkipur Vidhan Sabha seat in U.P. recorded a turnout of 57.13% in the byelection held on February 5. The byelection was necessitated after Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad vacated the seat after winning the parliamentary election from Faizabad (Ayodhya) in 2024 election.