The Samajwadi Party on Wednesday lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission of India, alleging that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh is systematically removing police and civil administration officials from the Muslim and Yadav communities, including Booth Level Officers (BLOs), in areas where Assembly byelections are imminent.
These byelections are set to occur later this year across 10 Assembly seats, following the resignation of MLAs who were elected to the Lok Sabha in June.
A delegation from the Samajwadi Party, featuring senior Rajya Sabha members, met with the Election Commission and presented a memorandum outlining their concerns regarding the actions of the Uttar Pradesh government.
“In light of the upcoming byelections, the State government has dismissed many police and civil officials from the Yadav and Muslim communities, which are traditionally known to support us. The same trend can be seen among the BLOs who are crucial in preparing the electoral rolls,” stated a party representative after the meeting.
The delegation expressed concern over the absence of Yadav or Muslim representatives on the final list of BLOs, noting that only one Muslim was identified in the list solely because the government could not ascertain his religion based on his name.
The memorandum further emphasized that the ruling party is allegedly attempting to compromise the integrity of the electoral process. “In districts where by-elections are on the horizon, there are no Muslim or Yadav officials assigned to election duty. This situation has been covered extensively in both print and electronic media,” the document stated.
It criticized the appointment process for BLOs as being influenced by caste and religion, claiming that nearly all Muslim and Yadav BLOs have been removed and replaced with officials from communities that align with the ruling party.
The complaint urged the Election Commission to ensure that all political parties and candidates are afforded equal opportunities during the electoral process.
The Election Commission has committed to investigating these allegations further.
