Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav has alleged “vote dacoity” in the Rampur Lok Sabha by-election, claiming that on polling day, police and local administration prevented people from leaving their homes. He said that it was the first time the BJP won the seat.

“We have documented such instances and submitted them to the Election Commission, but no action has been taken,” Yadav said.

Yadav stressed that electoral reforms are possible only if the Election Commission is unbiased. Supporting Congress proposals, he called for revisiting the process of appointing the EC and moving back to paper ballots. “If technologically advanced nations like Germany and the United States can vote by paper, why are we still using EVMs?” he asked.

“There is no vote-chori, there is vote dacoity,” he asserted. “If elections were truly fair, the BJP would not win a single seat.”