In Lucknow, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has responded to the Election Commission of India taking note of the rampant misuse of Form-7, an issue repeatedly raised by his party. He described this development as a direct result of the prompt and alert interceptions carried out by the PDA Praharis – the dedicated party volunteers appointed specifically to monitor the Summary Revision of electoral rolls.
EC's Swift Response to SP Complaints
Akhilesh Yadav highlighted that the Election Commission's acknowledgment of complaints regarding the widespread misuse of Form-7, which can lead to votes being deleted, came just hours after the Samajwadi Party raised the matter at a press conference held at their party headquarters. He emphasized that this swift action was not coincidental but rather a testament to the focused and vigilant work undertaken by the PDA Praharis.
Credit to Party Volunteers
Taking to social media platform X, Akhilesh Yadav publicly commended the efforts of these volunteers. He wrote, "EC taking note of complaints of rampant misuse of Form-7 to get votes deleted hours after we raised the issue at the press conference at party headquarters is a result of the alert and focused work by PDA Praharis. Stay focused like this only." This statement underscores the critical role played by grassroots party workers in safeguarding electoral integrity.
Warning Against Complacency
However, Akhilesh Yadav issued a clear warning against any sense of complacency within the party cadre following the Election Commission's response. He stressed that this assurance from the electoral body does not mean that party workers can relax their vigilance. On the contrary, he argued that it necessitates even greater alertness.
Need for Continued Vigilance
Elaborating on this point, the Samajwadi Party chief stated, "No matter how notorious a person in power or how corrupt an official is, once there is a threat of them being exposed before the masses, they tend to save their reputation by staying away from crime. The (EC) assurance does not mean that we get complacent and let our focus fade." He cautioned that with the misuse of Form-7 now under official scrutiny, those attempting to manipulate the electoral process might simply shift to other fraudulent methods.
"On the contrary, we have to be more vigilant because after misuse of Form-7 has come under scanner, the fraudsters will try to find another way to manipulate votes," Akhilesh Yadav added, urging his party members to maintain and even intensify their monitoring efforts to protect democratic processes from potential subversion.
