After Samajwadi Party leader and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav backed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of vote theft, stating that it was not 'chori' but 'dacoity', Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Monday hit back, saying that Akhilesh Yadav was interfering in the SIR process and “will get punishment for this in 2027.”
This came as the SP chief, while interacting with reporters, remarked: “It’s not chori. Chori is a small theft. It’s dacoity. Openly done.”
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, had earlier alleged deliberate vote theft in the country, citing an incident in Aland in the Kalaburagi constituency, where attempts were allegedly made to delete genuine votes belonging to minorities and backward communities.
Speaking to IANS, Keshav Prasad Maurya said, “The false allegations of vote theft made in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Bihar have completely failed. The public sees and understands who has served the nation and states honestly, and who has looted the country and engaged in dirty politics to maintain power for themselves and their families. Since 2014, the nation and the states have started holding such people accountable. The recent result in Bihar reflects this.”
“Vote chori is not an issue. They are raising a bogus issue. Akhilesh Yadav is interfering in the SIR process, and he will get punishment for this in 2027, which will be recorded in the political history of Uttar Pradesh. None of this suits him. They align with criminals and mafias and run a bogus ‘PDA,’ but ultimately promote only their family. In Bihar, Jungle Raj and Kattar Raj have been given a farewell. The message from Bihar is for the entire country. The people will show the results in the upcoming elections, and by making such allegations, they cannot return to power,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party chief was in Bengaluru to participate in the ‘Vision India: Startup Summit.’
Commenting on the Bihar Assembly election results, Akhilesh Yadav said he had not yet conducted a booth-level analysis but had reviewed the overall outcome.
“RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav is a popular face, and the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) went into the elections with a positive vision. Our vision is positive, while the opposite side’s vision is one of division,” the former Chief Minister said.
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