The Chief Electoral Officer of Uttar Pradesh has cleared the air once again about allegations made by Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav. Yadav claimed there was inaction regarding 18,000 affidavits filed by voters about wrongful deletion of names from the electoral roll before the 2022 Assembly elections.
In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the CEO clarified that no original affidavits related to these complaints have been received by district election offices or the Election Commission of Uttar Pradesh as of September 4, 2025. He emphasized, “Not a single original affidavit has been received regarding this issue. Once we get the original documents, we will investigate quickly and take action. The public will be informed about the progress.”
The CEO also explained the difference between the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (which handles national and state elections) and the State Election Commission (which manages local body and Panchayat elections). He highlighted that recent news reports about fixing errors in voter lists through Artificial Intelligence (AI) are related to the SEC, not the Election Commission of India.
This isn’t the first time the CEO has responded to SP’s allegations. Last month, the same office dismissed the claim that 18,000 affidavits had been filed by voters affected by the alleged wrongful deletion. The CEO pointed out that only scanned copies of about 3,919 affidavits from different individuals had been received via email, and these were linked to complaints from 74 assembly constituencies across 33 districts.
Investigation results from five constituencies have already been shared publicly. The findings revealed that some affidavits had been created in November 2022 in the names of individuals who had passed away years before. Some of those individuals denied ever submitting any such affidavit. The CEO warned that submitting false evidence is a crime.
Earlier, Yadav accused the Election Commission and the BJP-led government of collusion during the 2022 elections, claiming the process was “looted” and the Election Commission was silent, supporting dishonesty.
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer reaffirmed his commitment to transparency and fair elections, making it clear that no formal affidavits alleging voter list issues have reached his office in the original form. His statements aim to dispel confusion and ensure the public understands the ongoing efforts to verify voter data.
