'Jugaad Aayog': Troika of officials, govt and ECI favour BJP, says Akhilesh

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday once again raised doubts over the BJP's sweeping victory in the Kundarki Assembly by-poll in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad, suggesting that the result was inconsistent with the ruling party’s actual vote base. In repeat criticism of the Election Commission of India (ECI), Yadav hinted that the outcome may have been influenced by “electoral machinery”.

This is the second instance that Yadav has used the jugaad aayog jibe to condemn the ECI.

Speaking to reporters, Yadav said, “If the data of Kundarki is considered, 77 per cent of the votes were bagged by them (BJP), while their vote bank is 26 per cent to 36 per cent. They have some officials who are experts.”

He went on to describe what he called an electoral troika working in favour of the BJP. “They have an electoral tikdi — officials, government, and the commission. It is being said that the commission is a jugaad aayog. If the jugaad aayog, which is impartial and should remain impartial, is not co-operating, to whom should we complain?” he added.

The Kundarki by-poll results were declared in November 2024, with BJP candidate Ramveer Singh posting a landslide win. According to official figures from the ECI, Singh won with 1,70,371 votes — or 76.71 per cent of the total — defeating his nearest rival, SP’s Mohammad Rizwan, by a margin of 1,44,791 votes. Rizwan polled 25,580 votes.

Candidates from the Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) and AIMIM also contested, with Chand Babu and Mohammad Varish finishing third and fourth, respectively.

Yadav’s remarks reflect growing tension between Opposition parties and electoral authorities, with several INDIA bloc leaders increasingly accusing the BJP of exerting undue influence over administrative and election-related institutions.

Reinforcing his party’s resolve to remain vigilant in the electoral process, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said SP workers were working at every level to protect their votes. “The BJP has given lots of work (to us) — increase our votes, making efforts to see that (our) votes are not cut, casting of votes, safeguarding of votes, and then counting of votes. Our party is continuously working on this,” Yadav said.

He also took aim at the BJP’s performance in Uttar Pradesh during recent elections, suggesting the ruling party had lost popular support in the state. “Ever since the BJP ‘lost’ to the INDIA bloc, and especially in UP, they have realised that their government will not survive,” he said.

Yadav’s comments are part of a broader pattern of Opposition parties sharpening their rhetoric ahead of key state and national elections. With trust in democratic institutions becoming a point of debate, questions around electoral transparency are expected to feature prominently in the political discourse in the coming months.