Samajwadi Party’s Fake Affidavits Expose INDI Alliance’s Vote Lies

Paromita Das

New Delhi, 28th August: For weeks, the I.N.D.I. Alliance has attempted to manufacture a storm over voter fraud. Congress and its partners, led by the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, have levelled grave accusations against the Election Commission of India (ECI). They claim that voter lists were manipulated, ballots stolen, and democracy itself undermined. Yet, with every investigation, their narrative collapses under the weight of fabricated affidavits, half-truths, and politically motivated theatrics.

This latest controversy, centred on Akhilesh Yadav’s party, is not just a tale of one false complaint. It is a case study in how the opposition has chosen deception over debate, and victimhood over vision.

How the “Vote Chori” Drama Began

On 25th August, the Samajwadi Party’s media cell shared a video featuring BJP minister Asim Arun, who spoke candidly about issues in Kannauj’s voter list. Arun explained that the Election Commission was already rectifying duplications where one individual’s name appeared multiple times. He further accused SP leaders of committing electoral fraud themselves during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where Akhilesh Yadav defeated BJP’s Subrat Pathak.

मामले का संज्ञान ले लिया गया है जिला निर्वाचन अधिकारी कन्नौज को मामले की त्वरित एवं गहन जाँच कर उचित एवं प्रभावी कार्यवाही करने
हेतु निर्देशित कर दिया गया है। https://t.co/oaeBMFU888

— CEO Uttar Pradesh (@ceoup) August 25, 2025

Instead of engaging with the facts, SP twisted the narrative. Its media cell claimed that the Election Commission responded only to BJP ministers while ignoring opposition complaints. The party even likened the ECI to “Dhritarashtra”, blind and complicit, an analogy designed to inflame emotions rather than present evidence.

The 18,000 Affidavits That Weren’t

The cornerstone of SP’s accusation rested on the claim of 18,000 affidavits proving voter deletion. Yet, the Chief Electoral Officer of Uttar Pradesh exposed the bluff. Out of 18,000, not a single original affidavit was ever submitted. Instead, what the ECI received were scanned copies—barely 3,919 of them—many in the names of deceased persons or individuals who denied signing anything at all.

https://twitter.com/ceoup/status/1959901212066685303

लीपापोती और गलत बयानी से आप सच को छिपा नहीं सकते, अब सच जनता के समक्ष सार्वजनिक हो चुका है और चुनाव आयोग अपनी विश्वसनीयता खो चुका है।

भाजपा के साथ मिलीभगत साबित हो चुकी है और जनता अब अपने अधिकार के लिए सजगता से खड़ी हो चुकी है। https://t.co/PYZGPZiQ3O

— Samajwadi Party Media Cell (@mediacellsp) August 25, 2025

In one instance, villagers flatly told election officials that they never filed affidavits and their names were still on the voter rolls. The conclusion was clear: the Samajwadi Party had weaponised false evidence to malign democratic institutions. Under the law, this amounts to criminal fabrication of evidence, a far more serious charge than the rhetoric Akhilesh Yadav flings at his opponents.

Recycled Lies, Fresh Rhetoric

This is not the first time such theatrics have been deployed. On 21st August, Akhilesh Yadav again parroted the “18,000 affidavits” line, alleging that the BJP, the Election Commission, and District Magistrates had colluded to suppress voters. He even attempted to wrap the controversy in his political slogan of PDA (Pichda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak), claiming his government would end suppression and fraud.

But once more, fact-checks revealed the hollowness of the claims. District Magistrates confirmed that voter names were deleted only in cases of death, migration, or duplication—all within the framework of law. Far from being silenced, every valid complaint had been addressed. What Akhilesh called “vote chori” was nothing more than a political tool to project victimhood.

A Party Trapped in Its Own Contradictions

The most ironic twist came when Asim Arun exposed how Samajwadi Party strongmen themselves benefited from irregularities in Kannauj. Names of SP-linked figures, including those of jailed leader Nawab Singh and his brothers, appeared multiple times on voter rolls. Instead of addressing these uncomfortable truths, the SP doubled down on allegations, accusing the Election Commission of shielding the BJP while itself being caught red-handed.

This contradiction highlights a deeper reality: the opposition’s battle is less against alleged irregularities and more against its own irrelevance. By peddling conspiracy theories, the I.N.D.I. Alliance avoids the real question voters are asking—what alternative vision does it have for governance?

Politics of Manufactured Victimhood

What we are witnessing is not an isolated controversy but a pattern of manufactured victimhood. When defeated at the ballot box, the I.N.D.I. Alliance seeks refuge in conspiracy theories. Instead of introspection, it blames institutions. Instead of offering a developmental roadmap, it spins tales of stolen votes.

This strategy is not just dishonest; it is corrosive. Every baseless charge erodes public faith in the Election Commission, an institution that has successfully overseen the world’s largest democratic exercises. By likening it to “Dhritarashtra,” the SP insults not just the ECI but the very idea of impartial elections.

Lies Cannot Replace Leadership

Bengal may have witnessed the decline of communism and Banalization, but Uttar Pradesh is now facing the decline of credibility in its opposition. The Samajwadi Party and its allies in the I.N.D.I. Alliance are discovering that lies have short legs—they cannot carry a movement forward.

The fabricated affidavits, recycled conspiracies, and desperate rhetoric reveal one truth: this is not about voter fraud, it is about political bankruptcy. Akhilesh Yadav and his allies have chosen to undermine trust in institutions rather than rebuild trust with the people.

Democracy cannot thrive on deception. And as the facts continue to dismantle the myth of “vote chori,” one question remains—when will the I.N.D.I. Alliance realise that governance is won not by shouting fraud but by earning faith?