Samajwadi Party chief and Lok Sabha MP Akhilesh Yadav stated on Sunday that he finds the outcome of the recent Bihar assembly elections hard to accept. During a press conference held in Bengaluru, Yadav voiced strong concerns about the electoral process and the final tally of seats.
Digesting the 'Double Century' Defeat
Akhilesh Yadav openly admitted his inability to digest the results, specifically referencing the NDA's massive win, which he termed a 'double century' in terms of seats secured. He questioned the high strike rate and the large number of seats won, indicating a sense of disbelief at the scale of the victory.
Learning from the BJP and Alleging 'Vote Chori'
The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister acknowledged that other political parties, including his own, need to learn from the BJP's strategy of contesting a specific number of seats. "What we learn from the BJP, we will implement the same in return," he stated. However, he swiftly shifted to serious allegations, claiming that 'vote chori' (vote theft) is not merely an allegation but the truth.
Yadav accused the BJP of being able to create fake Aadhaar and voter identity cards within thirty minutes. He also alleged that during the Uttar Pradesh bypolls, thousands of voters were prevented from casting their votes by the police.
A Call for Metal Voter ID Cards
Addressing the issue of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the SP leader clarified that his party is not opposed to the process itself. His primary concern lies with its implementation, suggesting it is being focused on areas where the BJP is weak.
He placed the responsibility of ensuring free and fair elections squarely on the shoulders of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Union Government. As a concrete solution to prevent the duplication of voter IDs, Akhilesh Yadav strongly recommended the issuance of metal voter ID cards. He urged the ECI to guarantee that no genuine voter is disenfranchised and that fake cards are not created.
