'Conspiracy to eliminate opposition votes ahead of UP polls?', Akhilesh on EC's SIR extension
Lucknow (PTI): Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise has become a "major trouble" for people and alleged that the Election Commission (EC) has ignored practical challenges faced by voters and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) while demanding three months extension of the SIR deadline.
"Is there a conspiracy to eliminate opposition votes ahead of elections in Uttar Pradesh?" Yadav questioned, claiming the poll body was "acting at the behest of the BJP government" and warned that, as seen in Bihar, lakhs of voters could be deprived of their voting rights if the process was rushed.
Yadav, in a statement issued here, said it was impossible to conduct the enumeration and verification of nearly 16 crore voters in a state as large as Uttar Pradesh within a month, adding that BLOs were under immense pressure, which was affecting their "physical and mental well-being."
He emphasised that extending the SIR deadline from December 4 to December 11 was "not sufficient", adding that he had demanded a three-month extension.
"The Election Commission has given no attention to this logical and practical demand. It seems the commission has become insensitive and is unconcerned about the problems of voters," Yadav said in a statement.
He claimed the poll body was "acting at the behest of the BJP government" and warned that, as seen in Bihar, lakhs of voters could be deprived of their voting rights if the process was rushed.
The SP chief alleged that the situation raised questions over whether the commission cared about its credibility and the fairness of elections.
He also expressed concern over the workload and alleged threats faced by BLOs, claiming several had died by suicide due to stress.
"More than half a dozen BLOs have died in Uttar Pradesh. It is unfortunate that they are being shown as 'dismissed' employees to deny their families government assistance," he alleged.
Calling SIR a critical process linked to constitutional rights, including voting, citizenship and reservation benefits, Yadav said even minor errors could have far-reaching consequences.
He urged the poll body to extend the SIR period by at least three months to ensure accuracy and protect voters’ rights.
"The Election Commission must safeguard the voting rights of crores of Uttar Pradesh residents and remain alert to any political conspiracy. Otherwise, doubts will inevitably be raised about the commission itself," he said. ABN MPL
MPL
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
