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Akhilesh Yadav accused the Uttar Pradesh government of hiring agencies to selectively target booths where his party had won elections.
SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav | File Image
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday accused the state government of large-scale misuse of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Uttar Pradesh, alleging that professional agencies hired by the government were selectively targeting booths where his party had won elections.
“The government has hired certain agencies comprising professionals sitting in Delhi, Lucknow and other places across the country,” Yadav said during a press conference in Lucknow. “They have access to the entire electoral roll data and, using that, they are identifying booths where the Samajwadi Party won elections previously.”
He further alleged that Form-7 of the SIR process, which is used to object to someone’s inclusion in the electoral roll or request deletion of a name already listed, is being systematically filled and sent from such booths. “The forms are properly filled, printed and then sent. At many places, this has led to protests and disturbances,” he added.
‘Influencing Election Outcomes’
The SP chief claimed the SIR process was being used to influence elections across the country, including in Bihar and West Bengal. “Through the SIR, they (the BJP) have managed to win the Bihar elections… The BJP is trying to do the same thing in Bengal. That is why the Bengal government and its chief minister (Mamata Banerjee) are repeatedly saying that the poll panel has become the BJP’s commission,” he remarked.
He also lent support to Mamata Banerjee’s fight against the SIR, saying her personal appearance in the Supreme Court displayed how the Election Commission had become a ‘Sahyogi Dal’ (key ally) of the BJP. He also said several Samajwadi Party workers had long flagged the suspicious workers.
Yadav also demanded an immediate halt to the use of Form-7 and expressed concerns over the safety of booth-level officers (BLOs. “It is the responsibility of the Election Commission to remain impartial and protect constitutional values. The more the system is strengthened, the stronger democracy will become,” he said.
BJP Says Akhilesh ‘Misleading Public’
The BJP hit back at Akhilesh Yadav’s claims, accusing him of misleading the public. UP Minister Narendra Kumar Kashyap said the SP chief has been continuously misleading voters in the state since the beginning of the SIR exercise. He said it was not a good sign of democracy in UP that the opposition party was exploiting the issue instead of following a legal process.
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: On Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s statement, Minister Narendra Kumar Kashyap says, “Ever since the SIR process began in Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav has been continuously trying to mislead voters” pic.twitter.com/4cktywRhah— IANS (@ians_india) February 8, 2026
“If Akhilesh ji is calling SIR the NRC, then understand that he is trying to mislead the public. Akhilesh Yadav has realised that the Samajwadi Party is headed for a crushing defeat in 2027,” BJP leader SN Singh told PTI.
“He is already scripting excuses for that loss, wondering where he will hide his face and what he will say afterward. That is why sometimes he calls it SIR, sometimes NRC; sometimes he says it will help the BJP win, sometimes that it will help the Samajwadi Party,” he added.
(with PTI inputs)
February 08, 2026, 19:38 IST
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