Akhilesh Yadav Alleges Massive Electoral Fraud in UP
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav claims lakhs of fake votes exist in UP due to SIR process irregularities.
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has launched a scathing attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging widespread electoral fraud across Uttar Pradesh. Speaking to reporters on Monday, October 12, 2026, Yadav claimed that the integrity of the state's voter list has been severely compromised due to deep irregularities during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
Lakhs of Fake Votes Alleged
The SP leader asserted that the state is currently plagued by lakhs of fake votes. In a shocking claim, Yadav stated that the irregularities are so severe that in certain instances, a single individual has as many as ten different votes registered under their name. He accused the government of wasting significant time and resources, noting that "crores of rupees were spent on the SIR."
Yadav issued a stern warning to the ruling party, declaring that the opposition will not allow the BJP to benefit from this alleged fraud across the 403 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh. To back these claims, the Samajwadi Party leader announced plans to release a formal, detailed list of identified fake votes discovered across various assembly constituencies.
Broader Political Unrest and Legal Action
This escalation comes at a time of significant political tension in the country. On the same Monday, members of the INDIA bloc initiated a march to the Supreme Court to demand the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. This follows a previous march to the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters on October 6, 2026, where the opposition coalition raised concerns regarding the integrity of voter rolls.
The concerns regarding voter discrepancies have been echoed by other prominent leaders, including Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav, who has previously raised alarms regarding inconsistencies in the lists.
Official Response from Election Authorities
In response to these heavy accusations, Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa has defended the electoral process. Rinwa maintained that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was conducted with complete transparency, strictly adhering to the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
Addressing the specific figures being circulated by the opposition, Rinwa clarified that the 16.18 lakh figure cited by critics actually represents Form-6 applications collected during the enumeration process, rather than a list of automatically added voters. The Chief Electoral Officer further noted that legal notices are being issued to individuals spreading what the office characterizes as misconceptions on social media.