‘People Might Take To Streets...': Akhilesh Yadav Warns Of Nepal-Like Unrest Over Vote Theft Row

Last Updated:September 12, 2025, 20:02 IST

Akhilesh Yadav said that it's the Election Commission’s responsibility to ensure that no vote is stolen anywhere.

Akhilesh Yadav warned of an upheaval in India similar to that in Nepal. (ANI)

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday accused the Election Commission and the government of enabling what he called “vote theft," and cautioned that India could also see Nepal-like turn of events if alleged ‘vote chori’ continued in the country.

While addressing a press briefing in Lucknow, the former Chief Minister referred to the current political upheaval in Nepal, where widespread violent demonstrations led by Gen Z, claimed over 50 lives and caused massive damage to public property.

Akhilesh Yadav said that it’s the Election Commission’s responsibility to ensure that no vote is stolen anywhere. He warned that the country could witness a Nepal-like protest if the poll body fails to stop such practices.

“It’s the Election Commission’s responsibility to ensure that no vote is stolen anywhere… Everyone knows that when they couldn’t win elections through vote theft, they tried to stop the vote with the power of a revolver… If such incidents happen, it’s possible that people here might take to the streets, just like what happened in our neighbouring countries," he said as quoted by ANI.

The SP leader further referred to instances in past Uttar Pradesh polls. “They posted their own caste members, and at that time, were all those presiding officers and election officials not appointed from the chief minister’s own community?"

He alleged that officials were appointed on caste considerations. “The DM and SP not given such instructions? Think about it, we kept complaining… they claimed 77 percent of the votes."

What Happened In Nepal?

Nepal’s recent protests began over a social media ban but quickly snowballed into a broader violent anti-corruption movement.

The unrest resulted in the burning of top ministers’ houses, the Parliament, and the country’s Supreme Court, among other key installations. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, along with several other ministers, resigned amid the protests.

As per sources, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki will be sworn in as the country’s interim Prime Minister at 8:45 pm tonight at Sheetal Niwas, the presidential residence. The announcement came after intense talks between President Ramchandra Paudel, Sushila Karki and representatives of the Gen-Z protest movement, who had demanded sweeping political change following last week’s deadly unrest.

Apart from Nepal, India’s neighbouring Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Bangladesh have witnessed similar protests and change of regime in recent years.

Opposition’s Vote Chori Claims

The INDIA bloc, led by Congress and Rahul Gandhi, has been vocal about alleged "vote chori" or vote theft. Rahul Gandhi claimed large-scale electoral fraud in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, particularly in Karnataka’s Bangalore Central constituency, citing over 1 lakh fake voters.

He outlined alleged methods of vote manipulation, including duplicate voters, fake addresses, bulk registrations, invalid photos, and Form 6 misuse.

The Congress initiated the "Vote Chori" campaign with a dedicated website (votechori.in) and call-in number, urging citizens to support demands for transparent voter rolls.

The INDIA bloc, including Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, backs the campaign, planning events like the Vote Adhikaar Yatra in Bihar, which is due for elections shortly.

The EC termed Gandhi’s claims "false and misleading," asking him to submit a sworn declaration or apologise, citing voter roll availability in PDF format for privacy concerns.

(With inputs from agencies)

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...Read More

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...

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News politics ‘People Might Take To Streets...': Akhilesh Yadav Warns Of Nepal-Like Unrest Over Vote Theft Row

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