The Election Fee on Thursday wrote to Samajwadi Social gathering president Akhilesh Yadav, asking him to provide proof of his allegation that round 20,000 electors from the Yadav and Muslim communities have been struck off the electoral rolls in every of Uttar Pradesh’s 403 constituencies, EC sources mentioned.
The EC took cognizance of media reviews on September 29 about Akhilesh’s allegation and requested him to submit documentary proof to substantiate it. Akhilesh alleged that the electors’ names have been deleted from the rolls on the behest of the BJP.
An EC supply mentioned there was no provision in legislation for an electoral roll primarily based on caste or faith.
“Since Akhilesh’s assertion relating to alleged mass deletion of names, that too of a selected group of voters from the electoral roll, is extraordinarily critical and has far-reaching substantive and perceptional implications on the integrity of elections and thereby on democracy, the ECI has requested him to submit documentary proof primarily based on which he has made such a public assertion about mass deletions,” the EC supply mentioned.
The EC has requested Akhilesh to submit his response by November 10 “in order that mandatory motion could be taken”, the supply mentioned. The previous Uttar Pradesh chief minister was requested to submit particulars of the Meeting-wise information of deletions, together with supporting paperwork. The EC supply famous that the fee had not obtained any such grievance nor had any such challenge cropped up throughout the Uttar Pradesh Meeting elections earlier this yr. There had been no allegation of deletion of names throughout the particular abstract revision of the electoral roll from November 1, 2021 until January 5, 2022 nor throughout the fixed revision of the rolls since then, the supply mentioned.
“Just one grievance relating to deletion of a listing of round 10,000 electors (from minority and Scheduled Caste) was made to a DEO (District Election Officer) by a candidate of the Samajwadi Social gathering from Aliganj Meeting Constituency. On inquiry by the CEO (Chief Election Officer), Uttar Pradesh, the allegations have been discovered to be baseless, unsubstantiated and factually incorrect,” the supply mentioned.
Based on Part 31 of the Illustration of the Individuals Act, 1950, anybody who makes “false declarations” faces one yr in jail, a nice or each, and below Part 125 of the Illustration of the Individuals Act, 1951, “selling enmity between courses in reference to election” is punishable by as much as three years in jail, a nice or each.