Akhilesh Yadav Alleges BJP's 'Voter Suppression' in UP and Bengal, EC Denies Claims

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Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has raised serious allegations against the Election Commission (EC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing them of misusing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise to 'cancel over 50,000 votes' in assembly seats where the INDIA bloc parties won in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. During a press conference, Yadav claimed that the BJP and EC are working together to exploit the SIR exercise in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. He warned that the SIR exercise is being conducted in a targeted manner in these two states, where the INDIA bloc parties secured victories. The SIR exercise is currently underway in 12 states and Union Territories, with the final list of electors scheduled to be published on February 7, 2026. Yadav urged citizens to check their names in the electoral rolls to prevent wrongful deletions. BJP leader Gaurav Vallabh rejected the allegations, stating that the SIR process is being implemented even in states where no elections are scheduled. He accused the opposition parties of making baseless claims, saying that they are concerned about the removal of their 'vote banks'. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has called an internal meeting to review SIR-related developments and strengthen oversight to ensure that no voter names are removed. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is also scheduled to meet members of the Matua community to discuss the issue. The allegations come as the EC conducts a nationwide SIR exercise, which has sparked concerns among opposition parties. While the EC has denied any involvement in voter suppression, the opposition parties remain vigilant, urging citizens to stay alert and check their names in the electoral rolls to prevent wrongful deletions.