Govt agencies target booths where SP won polls during SIR, alleges Akhilesh

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday alleged large-scale misuse of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh, claiming that agencies hired by the government were selectively targeting booths where his party had won elections.

Addressing a press conference, Yadav said professional agencies operating from Delhi, Lucknow and other places had access to electoral roll data and were identifying Samajwadi Party–dominated booths.

He alleged that Form-7 applications were being systematically filled and submitted from such booths to seek deletion of voters’ names, leading to protests and disturbances in several areas.

According to the Election Commission, Form-7 is used to object to the inclusion of a name in the electoral roll or to request deletion.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister further claimed that the SIR exercise had already influenced election outcomes, alleging it played a major role in the BJP’s victory in Bihar and that similar attempts were underway in poll-bound West Bengal.

Referring to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee arguing her case before the Supreme Court, Yadav alleged that the Election Commission was acting as an “ally” of the BJP and discriminating against Opposition-ruled states.

Yadav also said Samajwadi Party workers and PDA ‘praharis’ had flagged several allegedly pre-filled forms and cited instances of alleged forgery, including cases involving individuals he named during the press conference.

With PTI inputs