Akhilesh Yadav accuses BJP of poll manipulation, demands live counting

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav alleges BJP manipulates elections, calling it 'mangarna'. He demands the Supreme Court ensure a live telecast of West Bengal vote counting for transparency, claiming the BJP pre-determines results and distorts democracy.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of manipulating elections and distorting the democratic process, claiming that "it's not a 'matgarna' (counting of votes), it's 'mangarna'."

Yadav Demands Live Telecast of Vote Counting

Speaking at a press conference in the state capital, Yadav further demanded that the Supreme Court take immediate action to ensure the live telecast of vote counting in West Bengal, calling for greater transparency in the electoral process."It's not a 'Matgarna' (voting); actually 'mangarna' is happening. When the counting is proceeding, they have already made up their mind, created a perception, and built a narrative. If there can be a live telecast of court proceedings, then why not of the vote counting? Our demand is that the Supreme Court should take immediate action and make the CCTV of the Bengal counting available live to the whole country," Yadav stated, claiming that the outcome of elections is often pre-determined.

'Do or Die' Stance in 2024 Lok Sabha Polls

Levelling serious allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party, Yadav further criticised the BJP's methods of election management, remarking that, during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, his party was forced to take a "Do or Die" stance."We've consistently discussed how the BJP manages elections or wins elections in 2024, during the Lok Sabha elections, we held discussions here and we had to declare, 'Do or die' for the results," SP chief added."The government resorted to various tactics in many places. But our party workers and leaders stood firm. The result was that they received a certificate, and in UP, the INDIA Alliance defeated the BJP. Due to this, a government has been formed that doesn't have an absolute majority. I thank and express my gratitude to all the PDA workers in UP and those who supported us," he added.

Allegations of Past Electoral Malpractice

The Samajwadi Party chief also recounted incidents from the 2022 state elections in Chhibramau, alleging that the BJP had used the deployment of central forces to manipulate results."In many Vidhan Sabha assemblies in 2022, by deploying Central Forces, they threw Samajwadi Party workers out of polling stations and counting centres and changed the results," he claimed.Yadav alleged that officers from Uttar Pradesh played a pivotal role in these tactics."We've heard that many officers from UP got training and went there. A large number of officers posted there had deep ties to UP. They went to Bengal and were damaging democracy. They were working to destroy democracy," he added.

Shift in West Bengal's Political Landscape

The Samajwadi Party chief's remarks come amidst ongoing political tensions in Bengal as the state assembly election results, which saw the BJP surge to 207 seats and relegate the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to just 80, mark a seismic shift in Bengal's political landscape.The outcome marks a historic moment for the BJP, which is set to form its first government in West Bengal after TMC's 15-year rule ended.West Bengal has witnessed heightened political activity and a constitutional face-off following the BJP's landmark victory, marking a significant shift in the state's political dynamics.Despite mounting pressure, outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has refused to step down, rejecting calls for her resignation after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) suffered a major electoral setback.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)