Akhilesh Yadav, the president of the Samajwadi Party (SP), held a press conference on Sunday, where he launched a scathing attack on the BJP, the Election Commission (EC), and the central government regarding alleged electoral malpractices. He highlighted concerns about the manipulation of the electoral process through areas known as SIR, suggesting that the BJP had successfully influenced the outcome of elections through such tactics in Bihar and is attempting to replicate this in West Bengal, evidenced by the actions of the West Bengal Chief Minister, who felt it necessary to confront these issues in the Supreme Court.

During the press conference, Yadav brought along Nandlal, a resident of Sultanpur, to illustrate his point against the BJP and the EC, accusing them of coercing people into filling out Form 7 under false pretenses. According to Yadav, Nandlal was misled into endorsing the BJP by making him provide a thumbprint, which the party then used to illegally fill out the form. This form manipulation allegedly aims to disenfranchise Muslim voters. Yadav expressed frustration with this process and questioned the impartiality of the Election Commission, suggesting that it operates under the influence of BJP.

Yadav also announced a cash reward of one lakh rupees for Nandlal in solidarity against this alleged injustice. This move highlights the growing tensions in the political landscape as the SP positions itself in opposition to the ruling BJP, drawing attention to electoral integrity issues as key points of contention leading up to upcoming elections.