Day after the Samajwadi Party levelled allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of “indirectly influencing” voting in the Milkipur by-poll in Uttar Pradesh, party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Thursday that this is how the BJP contests the elections and the Election Commission is “dead.” “This is how BJP contests elections. The Election Commission is dead. We will have to gift them white cloth,” Akhilesh told ANI.

On Wednesday, the former UP CM claimed that the police were checking the ID cards of the voters. In a post on X, Yadav demanded action from the Election Commission to remove people involved in this.

“The Election Commission should immediately take cognizance of the pictures related to this news that Ayodhya police is checking the ID cards of voters in Milkipur, in which senior police officers are also involved. This is a democratic crime of indirectly influencing voting by creating fear among voters. Such people should be removed immediately, and punitive action should be taken,” he said.

However, Ayodhya Police responded to the Samajwadi Party Chief’s allegation and said that the ID cards of booth agents were being checked, not of voters. It also asked the former CM to “not make false statements.”

In a post on the social media website X, Ayodhya police said that the police were checking the ID of a booth agent of a candidate, not of voters. “The above photo is of the booth agent’s identity card; the person seen in the photo is a booth agent of a candidate, which has been verified by seeing his identity card. Please do not make misleading tweets,” they said.

Earlier, Samajwadi Party candidate for the Milkipur assembly by-elections, Ajit Prasad, spoke to ANI about the voting process and alleged interference by certain elements. He claimed, “The votes are in favour of the Samajwadi Party, but some mischievous elements are trying to influence the voters. The police here are also pressuring the voters to not vote for the Samajwadi Party, but the people of Milkipur are only voting for us.”

Prasad also raised concerns over his party’s election agents being restricted access to polling booths, adding, “I am getting complaints that our agents are not being allowed to enter the polling booths.”

Meanwhile, the Milkipur assembly constituency in Uttar Pradesh recorded a turnout of 57.13 per cent in the by-elections concluded on Wednesday.

(With ANI Inputs)