Akhilesh Accuses BJP of Knowing UP Voter Deletions Ahead of Draft Rolls
Akhilesh Accuses BJP of Knowing UP Voter Deletions Ahead of Draft Rolls
Akhilesh Yadav alleges BJP leaders knew how many UP voters would be removed from the draft rolls, stoking controversy as the final list looms.
In Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of knowing how many UP voters would be removed from the draft electoral rolls before the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) draft was published, and questioned the Election Commission's credibility.
The draft roll published on January 6 shows 2.89 crore voters excluded and 12.55 crore retained out of 15.44 crore listed earlier.
Yadav said he was apprehensive about the removal of three crore voters and pointed to a speech by the UP chief minister in which he claimed roughly four crore votes would be removed. He noted that a former MP from Kannauj claimed 3 lakh votes had already been removed in one district and asked how the credibility of the EC can be maintained if such statements come from leaders of the ruling party.
He questioned data provided by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), asking how the total number of voters for the Assembly elections (12.56 crore) aligns with rural voters for panchayat elections (12.69 crore). He cited the removal of 2.88 crore voters from the draft and 40 lakh voters added by the same BLOs for the panchayat elections and asked whether the final list is being delayed to conceal discrepancies. He urged that, as a large-scale registration drive proceeds, genuine voters should get their names on the list. The final electoral list is scheduled to be published on March 6.
