Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 29 (ANI): Samajwadi Party leader Sanatan Pandey has alleged rigging in the Uttar Pradesh MLC elections, claiming that the party would have won all seats had the polls been conducted fairly. His remarks came after the SP won five seats in the elections.
"Had there been no rigging, the Samajwadi Party would have won 100% of the seats," said Pandey.
Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, the SP leader accused the BJP of allegedly manipulating election results by exercising undue influence on the process.
"The educated segment of society—well-read individuals—favours the Samajwadi Party. If there is any party that truly upholds the Constitution of India, it is the Samajwadi Party. These people have won by manipulating the elections; they have exerted undue influence on the electoral process and have stolen votes..." added Pandey.
Alongside Pandey, other leaders of the Samajwadi Party also made similar allegations.
MP Rajeev Rai, while refering the loss of Ayodhya by the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, claimed that they would have won 9 seats out of 11 in UP MLC Elections if the contest had been held in a fair manner.
"We defeated them in Ayodhya during the Lok Sabha elections. In these elections, they lost in Kashi, Prayagraj, and Mathura as well. The very deities and great historical figures whose names they exploited for political gain have now given them an answer. Had the election been conducted fairly, the tally would have been 9–2; we were set to win 9 seats..." Rai told ANI.
These remarks came after the results of Uttar Pradesh MLC elections were announced. In Uttar Pradesh, BJP candidate Hari Singh Dhillon retained the Bareilly-Moradabad seat. The party also won the Meerut Teachers’ constituency through Dinesh Kumar Goyal and the Meerut Graduates’ constituency through Chand Sharma.
The BJP also secured the Lucknow Teachers’ seat. The SP won the Varanasi Teachers’ Allahabad-Jhansi Graduates' and Agra-Aligarh Teachers’ constituencies. Additionally, SP leader Kanti Singh secured the Lucknow graduate constituency seat by defeating BJP's Avnish Kumar Singh.
Following the results, Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav claimed the election outcomes marked the beginning of the BJP’s political decline in the state.
In a post on X, Yadav asserted that the opposition’s 'PDA' (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) alliance had delivered a severe blow to the ruling party.
The SP chief emphasised that the BJP is bound to fall and all those invovled in corruption will be "hauled before the people's court" once the Samajwadi Party forms a government in the State.
"The MLC elections have packed up the BJP's bags and baggage. Despite extreme dishonesty and administrative tampering, no one could avert the BJP's downfall. All those corrupt officials who served the BJP will be hauled before the people's court once the PDA government takes power," he said.
These elections, held ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, are being viewed as a contest between the BJP and the SP. (ANI)
"We would have won 100% of seats": SP leader Sanatan Pandey alleges rigging in UP MLC elections
