Serious claims of irregularities in the Uttar Pradesh by-elections have been made by the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RJD), which claims that voters are being transported from beyond the Meerapur Assembly seat to cast ballots. Mithlesh Pal, the party’s candidate, said that guns had been used to apprehend proxy voters at mosques and madrassas. She also insisted on a thorough inspection of those wearing burqas when they arrived to cast their ballots.

According to Mithlesh Pal, the fake voters were wearing burqas when they arrived at the voting places. In order to avoid proxy voting, she insisted that those wearing burqas be screened.

It was Khiri Firozabad who called me. “Police have received a tip that people are coming from outside the Meerapur constituency to cast their ballots,” she added.

BJP Reiterates RLD’s Allegation

The Bharatiya Janata Party has an ally in the RLD. The BJP also acknowledged that voters wearing burqas may cast proxy ballots. In a letter to the Election Commission, the BJP claimed that vote fraud may occur if veiled women were permitted to cast ballots without being screened. The letter said that a female official should confirm the identities of all voters wearing burqas and others.

Akhilesh Kumar Awasthi of the BJP wrote to the Chief Electoral Officer of Uttar Pradesh, stating that there have been instances of veiled women attempting to vote more than once.

Indeed, several males have attempted to cast ballots while wearing burqas. They have often been stopped by poll workers. Fake voting will occur if the identities of women wearing burqas are not verified. Fair and transparent voting can only be ensured by adequate checking,” the BJP leader stated in the letter.

The Samajwadi Party’s Statement

However, in many polling places across several assembly seats, the Samajwadi Party has accused poll workers and police of intimidating voters. The SP claimed that the UP Chief Election Officer was favoring the BJP by preventing people from casting ballots.

“The Election Commission is engaging in dishonesty. Does anybody still question if the elections were fair? One day, this dishonesty will collapse,” it said on X.

“If the Election Commission exists, it must come alive and ensure that cops do not check IDs, roads are not shut, IDs are not seized, voters are not threatened, pace of voting is not slowed down, time is not wasted and the administration does not become a representative of the ruling party,” he stated.

Additionally, the Samajwadi Party posted a video from their Twitter account with the caption, “Election Commission @ECISVEEP.”

@ceoup is dishonest and not from Dhritarashtra. It is supporting the Kauravas, or BJP, in the electoral fight, and the BJP is forcing the electoral Commission to commit fraud. Does anybody still question that the polls will be fair? One day, this shady plot will be exposed. In order to defeat the BJP in the elections, the people is being urged to leave their houses in huge numbers, vote frequently, bring legitimate papers, submit recordings exposing their plot and dishonesty, and exercise their right to vote without fear of the government.”

Police in Kanpur React

Kanpur police quickly replied to the tweet, stating that the policemen in question had been suspended. During polling, the Election Commission has authority over state police.

Additionally, Akhilesh Yadav said that everyone who left the polls after being stopped by police had to return and cast their ballot. “There won’t be any irregularities now. Notify local political party members or poll workers if someone stops you.

“Go fearlessly and make sure you vote,” urged the politician.

Today’s by-elections will take place in nine Uttar Pradesh Assembly seats: Katehari, Karhal, Mirapur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan, Sisamau, Khair, Phulpur, and Kundarki. After the current MLAs, including Akhilesh Yadav, were elected to the Lok Sabha, these seats became vacant.

Similar circumstances previously arose during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when Madhavi Lata, a BJP candidate from Hyderabad, provoked anger by requesting that female voters take off their burqas in order to verify their identification at a voting station. An FIR was filed as a result of the event, and it was widely condemned.

The burqa was a contentious issue during the Haryana elections as well. Uttar Pradesh is now in a similar predicament.