“Reverse SSR, and you get RSS”: Akhilesh hits out at BJP over voter list revisions
Lucknow : Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday launched a sharp attack against the ruling dispensation and the Election Commission, alleging that political opponents are hatching conspiracies through the poll body because they know they cannot win a direct electoral contest.
Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav questioned the necessity of repeated voter list revisions, stating, “Our request to the Election Commission is to conduct only one revision and avoid revisions upon revisions. Since you have made a decision regarding SSR, with extensive preparation, let it remain SSR until the final nomination.”
“Many people no longer want to stand with the BJP, and that’s why this is happening. With no scheme working, they’ve now turned to an SSR, as you’ve likely read in the papers. And if you reverse SSR, you get RSS!..,” he added.
Akhilesh Yadav accused the authorities of pushing for multiple revisions of voter lists.
“These unregistered, underground tunnel-dwelling people, anarchists, and negative individuals know that a direct contest is no longer possible. Therefore, now they are conspiring through the Election Commission to hatch such a massive conspiracy, and their plotting is ongoing continuously.”
Raising concerns over electoral roll discrepancies, Yadav claimed that duplicate and multiple entries exist across various constituencies, asserting that his party’s workers and supporters will remain vigilant at every level to counter any attempts to manipulate the system.
On Thursday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued directives to 17 States and Union Territories to undertake a Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls, setting January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date.
The exercise is being initiated under Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, aimed at updating voter rolls and enrolling eligible electors.
The 17 States and Union Territories included in this phase are: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav later welcomed several prominent industrialists and business leaders into the party fold, asserting that leaders from other parties are also in talks to join.
“Today, major industrialists and business leaders have joined the Samajwadi Party. I assure you that all false cases filed under the BJP government will be withdrawn once the Samajwadi Party forms the government in the future. A large number of MLAs are also ready to join, and senior leaders from some other parties are bargaining to come over. In the coming time, they will also be inducted,” Akhilesh Yadav said.
