Omkar Dattatray
It is height of moral bankruptcy of the Smajwadi Party chief and former chief minister of UP that he has stooped abysmal low and equated Election Commission as Dead perhaps saying that the ECI does not take cognizance of the election malpractices by the ruling BJP in Milkipur Ayodhya by polls .It is very unfortunate ,disturbing that SP Supremo Akhilesh Yadav leveled serious accusations against the BJP ,alleging electoral misconduct and also declaring the Election Commission ”dead. ”It is nothing beyond ideological and moral bankruptcy and it can be termed as dirty politicking through and through. He claimed that the ruling party ,with police assistance ,engaged in widespread voter suppression and malpractices in Milkipur by polls. ”This is the manner in which BJP contests elections. The Election Commission is dead .We will have to gift them white cloth ,”the SP Chief told ANI ,criticizing what he described as deliberate manipulation of electoral proceedings. Akhiles Yadav is leveling baseless and unsubstantiated allegations and accusations on ruling BJP and election commissions silence and has used most un -parliamentary and bad language to describe the election commission which in fact is the independent, impartial and non-partisan institution of the country. To call ECI dead is absurd and amounts to dishonor of this autonomous agency of the country. Election commission is up and doing and its activism is worth appreciating and again it is energetic and living and to call it dead is absurd and grossly incorrect and misleading. The former UP chief minister stated that police officials were illegally checking voters ID at polling stations ,which he viewed as voter intimidation .Ayodhya Milkipur went to polls on Wednesday and saw 57.13% voter participation .In a post on X ,he said, ”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 alleged that BJP supporters caused disturbances at several locations under police protection, with officials deliberately overlooking violations of electoral conduct. Yadav also pointed out issues with EVM’s mentioning that disruptions at locations like Kutta Amaniganj lasted over two hours,preventing voter participation. However Ayodhya police countered these claims ,clarifying that they were only verifying booth agents credentials and accused Yadav of spreading false information.BJP Spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi dismissed these allegations as unfounded and indicative of SP’s anxiety over anticipated defeat .”The Samajwadi Party is spreading lies out of frustration after its imminent loss in Milkipur ,”he stated, accusing Yadav of using propaganda to deflect responsibility .It is very absurd and obnoxious that the former UP CM called the Election Commission ”dead” for failing to perform duty .”The Election Commission is completely dead ,the EC has killed its conscience and has mortgaged it to the BJP .We will have to get them white cloth.The election commission helps the BJP and not acted upon the overwhelming evidence of foul play and large-scale rigging in Milkipur ,”Mr. Yadav said outside parliament in New Delhi.
Traditionally ,bypolls have witnessed a much reduced voter turnout than the assembly elections but this time there was significant rise in voter participation and Akhilesh is nerved on this increased voter turnout and he smell the victory of BJP in this bypoll .
Milkipur Assembly seat in Ayodhya ,UP recorded a voting of 65.35% in the bypoll conducted on February 5-a remarkable jump of more than 5% turnout from 2022 -amid allegations of voting irregularities ,intimidations of opposition booth agents ,bogus voting and attempts by police to influence the voting in favor of the BJP.
The ECI said they found no irregularities in voting. After the BJP suffered an embarrassing defeat in the Faizabad Lok Sabha last summer ,the party cannot afford to lose Malkipur. The Opposition also views Malkipur as its opportunity to balance its defeat in the bypolls held in November last when the BJP won seven out of nine seats ,amid large scale complaints of communally -targeted voter suppression and misuse of administrative power by the ruling party. After Adityanath dismissed Avadesh Prasad’s emotional breakdown as ”nautanki” [theatrics],the senior SP leader launched a massive counter -attack to have the final say before Milkipur braces itself to vote.” They have called me a dog ,referred to me as the tail of a dog. My heart is aching .
The ministers of this [Uttar Pradesh] government have said that since people here elected a Dalit as their MP ,the dignity of Ayodhya has fallen ,”said Prasad. The 79 year -old veteran leader ,who has won nine Assembly elections since 1977,was reflecting on the personal hurt he was feeling due to insults by Adityanath -led BJP.
It is conventional for politicians to make emotional appeals during elections ,but Prasad’s assertion of his Dalit identity and evocation of caste-linked insults truly launched the question of caste to the centre stage of the February 5 election .
This appears detrimental to saffron party ,which has tried to communalize the election on religious grounds .However ,the micro issues have been overshadowed by Awadhesh Prasad’s emotional reaction to the murder of a young Dalit women whose body was found in a field in Ayodhya on February 1.Accussing the central and UP government of rigging Milkipur bypoll ,SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav said the Election Commission was” dead” and should be covered with” white cloth”[as coffin]because it failed to ensure free and fair election despite innumerable complaints from SP on the polling day and earlier as well. ”I had come to Parliament else I would have brought a white cloth to cover the Election Commission ,”Akhilesh said .
Later ,the SP leader along with all party MP’s ,staged a protest carrying a white sheet of cloth in hand .with Chunav Ayog written on it .In response ,the BJP strongly criticized Yadav’s remarks .Party MP Sambit Patra condemned Yadav’s statement about EC ,calling it an attack on a constitutional institution .Patra noted that the opposition has a history of targeting institutions when electoral outcomes do not go their way .”This is a new low .The SP has no respect for constitutional bodies .Such language has never been used in the parliament proceedings before ,”Patra said.BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal also condemned the remarks ,saying that the opposition repeatedly attacks constitutional institutions after losing elections .He called for an apology from Yadav and SP ,saying their words were an insult to democracy .In fact the ECI is performing its constitutional responsibility and duty very well .
It is ensuring free and fair elections anywhere and everywhere in the country and thus to accuse it of silence and inertia is absolutely worng .it is in fact the EC which manages the elections in the country and to call it dead is politics at its very low..The opposition calls EVM’s choor when they fail to win an election and when they win .EC is doing its job well.
It is indeed double speak of Opposition .Calling EC dead is very unfortunate and absurd and it is insult to the constitution as ECI is an constitutional body which is entrusted to manage elections across the country.
SP chief Akhliesh Yadav should tender an unconditional apology for having said EC was dead.
The fact is EC is living ,up and doing , active ,energetic and doing its constitutional duty of ensuring free and fair elections well and thus to say that election commission is dead is worst politics and SP chief should desist from such remarks which amount to insult to constitution and constitutional bodies. Finally Milkipur seat was won by BJP .Hats off to CEC Rajiv Kumar and his team for ensuring free and fair election in the country and this time in Delhi and Bypoll in Milkipur UP.
(The author is a columnist, social, KP activist & Freelancer)
