The Samajwadi Party (SP) is escalating its conflict with the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing the poll body of inaction regarding alleged voter list irregularities during the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The SP has produced copies of affidavits it claims to have submitted to the ECI, alleging large-scale voter deletions and accusing the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of "lying brazenly" about not receiving them.

SP President Akhilesh Yadav distributed copies of these affidavits in Parliament, asserting that they document widespread anomalies in voter rolls. He also shared copies with journalists, along with receipts confirming their submission to the ECI. Yadav emphasized that these affidavits were compiled swiftly following a notice from the ECI and that the actual number of affected seats could have been higher if the party had been provided with machine-readable rolls.

The SP's core allegation is that significant numbers of voters from Muslim, backward castes, and Dalit communities were deliberately removed from the electoral rolls. Yadav specifically pointed to constituencies like Rae Bareli, Kunda, Babaganj, Patiyali, Mariyahu, Ballia Nagar, Karnalganj, and Amroha as being affected by these irregularities. He argued that these deletions were targeted to weaken the political impact of these communities, potentially influencing the outcome of close contests. "Communities like Maurya, Pal, Bhagel and Rathore have seen voter deletions aimed at weakening their political impact. In some seats, we lost by narrow margins, and these deletions played a direct role," Yadav stated.

Yadav has also raised concerns about the conduct of election officials, alleging that their deployment was influenced by caste considerations, which in turn affected election outcomes. He demanded that the ECI take strict action against officials responsible for these irregularities and called for the suspension of district magistrates to prevent "vote theft".

The SP's renewed offensive comes amidst a broader debate on voter list revisions and allegations of "vote chori" (vote theft). Yadav has directly attacked the ECI for its alleged inaction on complaints since 2019, suggesting that the poll body is acting under pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He pointed to instances where officers were removed based on BJP complaints in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and 2017 UP Assembly polls, contrasting it with the current situation where, according to him, no action is taken despite SP's complaints. "This means that the Election Commission listens more to BJP's words. If we complain to the Election Commission, no action is taken," Yadav stated.

In response to the ECI's claim of not receiving the affidavits, Yadav posted on X (formerly Twitter), urging the commission to verify the acknowledgement receipts issued by its own office as proof of submission. He also demanded the ECI to issue an affidavit confirming the authenticity of the digital receipts provided to the party. "The Election Commission, which is saying that it did not receive affidavits sent by the party, should refer to the receipts issued by its own office as proof of our affidavits," Yadav stated.

The controversy has also drawn in other opposition parties, with many echoing the SP's concerns and accusing the CEC of acting as a "BJP spokesperson". Opposition leaders have alleged that the ECI is failing to ensure a level playing field and is instead intimidating those who challenge the ruling party. Some have even suggested that the CEC has "forfeited his right" to hold his constitutional position.

SP leader Ramgopal Yadav emphasized that the ECI had previously requested allegations to be submitted via affidavits, and despite doing so, no action has been taken. He presented copies of what he claimed were the affidavits submitted to the EC, questioning why the poll body denied receiving them. "In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh polls, when Akhilesh Yadav said that a large number of votes of Samajwadi Party supporters had been deleted, the Election Commission issued a notice asking him to clarify this. In response, 18,000 affidavits were submitted to the Election Commission, all with proper receipts. You will be surprised to know that not a single action has been taken on any of those affidavits till today," Yadav claimed.

The SP's actions reflect a growing distrust in the impartiality of the ECI and raise serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process in Uttar Pradesh. The party's decision to publicize the affidavits and directly challenge the CEC underscores the gravity of their concerns and their determination to hold the ECI accountable.