Akhilesh Yadav escalates attack on ECI, accuses it of caste bias

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav has sharpened his criticism of the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of bias in favour of the ruling BJP and failing to uphold its constitutional responsibility as the guardian of free and fair elections.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister first raised the pitch on Sunday, demanding that the poll body acknowledge affidavits submitted by his party regarding alleged anomalies in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

On Monday, he went a step further, alleging that voter deletions targeting backward communities were being carried out to the BJP’s benefit. Together, the charges signal a sustained campaign by Yadav to question the credibility of the ECI at a time when Opposition parties are increasingly vocal about electoral irregularities, termed 'vote chori (theft)' by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.

Sunday’s salvo: Digital receipts and affidavits

In a post on X on Sunday, Yadav demanded that the ECI issue an affidavit confirming the authenticity of digital receipts generated against submissions made by the SP. He shared screenshots of the party’s complaints concerning results in the Amapur, Bakshi Ka Talab, Jaunpur Sadar and Kursi segments during the 2022 Assembly polls.

“The Election Commission, which is saying that it did not receive affidavits sent by the party, should refer to the receipts issued by its own office as proof of our affidavits,” Yadav said.

“This time, we demand the Election Commission to provide an affidavit stating that the digital receipts sent to us were authentic,” he added, warning that: “If the digital receipts are found unreliable, both the Election Commission and even ‘Digital India’ will fall under a shadow of doubt. When the BJP exits, truth will emerge.”

Yadav’s remarks were prompted by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar’s press conference earlier that day, where he addressed the “vote theft” allegations raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and dismissed opposition criticism of the ongoing revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. Kumar insisted that the ruling and opposition parties were equal before the Commission and questioned why parties did not file election petitions in time if they truly believed malpractice had occurred.

But Yadav’s intervention was swift. By spotlighting receipts generated by the ECI itself, he sought to demonstrate that his party’s objections had been formally submitted and recorded, countering the CEC’s denial.

Monday’s follow-up: Voter deletions among backwards

On Monday, Yadav shifted focus to what he claimed was a more systemic form of electoral manipulation: the deletion of voters from marginalised communities. Speaking to reporters in the Parliament complex, he alleged that the names of voters belonging to Maurya, Pal, Bhagel and Rathore communities, among others, were being struck off the rolls to benefit the BJP.

“The truth is their votes are being deleted. The SP raised this issue earlier also, but it is important to understand that this is done deliberately to cut the votes of backward classes, while projecting that these votes are going elsewhere,” he said.

Yadav claimed that his party had already identified constituencies lost by narrow margins where deletions had played a decisive role. “This is what we could identify in a short time. If we receive the voter lists in the format we want, we can provide more such cases. Votes cast in 2019 were deleted by 2022. There is also a proper procedure for creating a voter ID, but that is being ignored,” he alleged.

Demanding accountability, the SP chief urged strict disciplinary action: “Our demand is simple that suspend even one district officer who is responsible. If you do this, not a single vote will be cut anywhere in the country. Show us if in 2019, 2022 or 2024, even one officer was removed for such lapses. Since the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh, not a single officer has been punished, no matter how many complaints are filed. Why is that? It means the EC listens more to the BJP.”

He also cited a case where a BJP legislator allegedly created 400 fake votes at her booth, forcing the SP to get over 200 of them removed. “This kind of verification is being done by political parties, but why does not the EC conduct such an exercise?” Yadav asked.

A trio of Opposition voices

Yadav’s escalation comes even as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav are spearheading the Bihar Voter Adhikar Yatra, a campaign demanding greater transparency in the revision of electoral rolls in the state. Alongside Gandhi's “vote chori” allegation, Tejashwi Yadav has framed the yatra as a defence of ordinary citizens’ democratic rights.

Against this backdrop, Akhilesh Yadav’s interventions position him as the third arm of an emerging Opposition trio, each amplifying doubts about the neutrality of the ECI. If Gandhi is raising the alarm nationally and Tejashwi is mobilising on the ground in Bihar, Akhilesh is spotlighting irregularities in Uttar Pradesh — India’s largest state and the one most crucial to national electoral outcomes.

Questioning institutional neutrality

Beyond the allegations of malpractice, Yadav criticised the way election officials are appointed, objecting to alleged caste-based selections. “Our demand is very clear that don’t appoint booth-level officers (BLOs) on the basis of caste, don’t appoint presiding officers on caste basis. It appears as if the ruling party decides which official suits them best,” he said.

The two-day barrage of charges reflects a broader opposition strategy to pressurise the ECI. While the commission has sought to defend itself as a neutral arbiter, the cumulative effect of repeated political attacks may contribute to what some analysts are calling a crisis of institutional credibility.

Whether these accusations resonate with voters, or are seen as political positioning ahead of future elections, remains to be seen. What is clear is that Yadav has signalled he will keep the ECI under unrelenting scrutiny — and, along with Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav, is emerging as part of a coordinated Opposition chorus warning that India’s democratic institutions are being compromised under BJP rule.