☰
×

Akhilesh Yadav Raises Concerns Over Voter List Manipulation in Uttar Pradesh

Akhilesh Yadav, leader of the Samajwadi Party, has raised alarming allegations regarding the removal of votes from the PDA categories in Uttar Pradesh's electoral rolls. He claims that the Election Commission is complicit in a scheme to favor the ruling party by eliminating these votes. During a press conference, he highlighted that nearly three lakh voters have already been removed from a single district, casting doubt on the credibility of the electoral process. Yadav's assertions suggest a broader conspiracy to manipulate voter lists, with fears that up to three crore names could be at risk. His statements have sparked significant concern regarding the integrity of the electoral system in the state.
By Narendra Chaudhary Jan 10, 2026, 14:13 IST

Allegations of Voter Removal in Uttar Pradesh

Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party, claimed on Saturday that the Special Intensive Review (SIR) process in Uttar Pradesh is leading to the removal of votes from the 'PDA' (Backward, Dalit, Minority) categories from the electoral rolls. He accused the Election Commission of assisting the central government in adding votes in its favor. During a press conference in Lucknow, Yadav questioned the credibility of the Election Commission, asserting that nearly three lakh voters have already been removed from a single district, with more removals likely.

Read More: 'To Save the Constitution and Reservation, PDA Must Unite,' Akhilesh Yadav's Direct Attack on BJP Government


Yadav informed reporters that the removal of three lakh votes from one district raises serious concerns about the integrity of the Election Commission. He suggested that there appears to be a conspiracy to eliminate PDA votes while adding votes for the ruling party, following the procedures implemented by the state election commission and the central government. He noted that the SIR exercise was conducted extensively across Uttar Pradesh, involving officials from various departments. Yadav emphasized that no political party opposed this exercise, and all parties appointed their booth-level agents (BLA).


He reiterated that the SIR exercise involved multiple departments and was carried out on a large scale in Uttar Pradesh, with no political party voicing opposition; all parties prepared their BLAs. Referring to the draft publication of the voter list, Yadav expressed concerns that around three crore voters' names could be removed. He also claimed that before the draft list was released, when no official figures were available, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh had stated that four crore voters' names would be removed, asserting that they belonged to the BJP.

Read More: BJP Launches Scathing Attack on SP's PDA Calendar, Manoj Tiwari Calls It a Pakistani Calendar


He stated that now that the voter list has been released, there were fears that approximately three crore (30 million) voters' names would be removed. He expressed concern that three crore voters could be eliminated, but even before the list was made public—when no one had any information—the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh claimed that four crore voters' names would be removed, all of whom he alleged were BJP supporters.