SP MLC Candidate Breaks Down Over Alleged Rigging and Police Harassment in Agra

Voting Day Outcry

During the Uttar Pradesh teachers and graduates MLC elections, Samajwadi Party candidate Dr. Akash Agarwal broke down in tears while speaking to media and officials on Friday. Agarwal contested from the Agra-Aligarh teachers MLC constituency. He accused the ruling party and local administration of open booth capturing and severe harassment of his supporters, school managers, and teachers across twelve districts.

Allegations of Rigging

According to Agarwal, booth capturing took place at booth number 20 in Kheragarh, where his nephew's actions were recorded and sent directly to the commissioner, and he claimed the presiding officer locked voters out while eating. He also alleged booth capturing attempts by the BJP candidate at booth number 10, alongside similar violations at booth number 40 in Chhatta. Agarwal stated that police visited over a hundred schools and arbitrarily detained his campaign managers and workers. Visibly distressed, he claimed officials spoke to him disrespectfully and made him feel like a terrorist from Pakistan.

Threats of Conversion

Expressing complete loss of faith in the system, Agarwal declared that winning or losing the election no longer matters to him. He stated that he would travel to Lucknow next month to convert to Islam at the Shahi Idgah, adding that a local official told him he was only an MLC candidate and not God, to which he replied that he has changed his God. He demanded that authorities jail him directly instead of targeting his family and school staff.

Context

MLC elections in Uttar Pradesh form part of the upper house of the state legislature, where specific seats are chosen by teachers and graduates rather than the general public. High-stakes regional polls often see intense political rivalry and local administrative friction between the ruling party and opposition groups. State legislative council polls cover staggered batches of seats across several regional divisions.