“Victory of democratic understanding…”: Akhilesh Yadav Lauds Ayodhya Victory, Decries EVMs in 18th Lok Sabha Debut

Samajwadi Party Chief and Kanauj MP, Akhilesh Yadav, hailed the victory in Ayodhya as a testament to the democratic maturity of Indian voters during his inaugural address in the 18th Lok Sabha. Yadav touched upon a range of pressing topics, including the call for a caste-based census, the contentious Agniveer issue, rising unemployment, and extended his gratitude to the voters of Uttar Pradesh for supporting the INDIA Bloc at the polls.

"The victory of Ayodhya is a victory of democratic understanding of India's mature voters," said Yadav. Samajwadi Party leader Awadesh Prasad, backed by the Samajwadi Party, clinched the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat by defeating BJP’s two-time MP Lallu Singh. Ayodhya, renowned for its Ram Temple, falls within the Faizabad constituency in Uttar Pradesh, which holds significant political weight with 80 Lok Sabha seats.

The Samajwadi Party Chief expressed deep skepticism towards Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), asserting that he would maintain his distrust in them even if his party were to secure all 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh. “I never trusted the working process of the EVM machines. Even if the Samajwadi party clinches all 80 seats of Uttar Pradesh, I will still not have any trust towards the EVMs,” said Yadav.

The former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh accused the Election Commission of India of bias, alleging that the poll panel favored the Union government during the recently concluded Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

"It feels that for the first time there is a defeated government. The people are saying that this government won't run. It was a moral victory for the INDIA alliance in the elections. It was a victory of positive politics," asserted Akhilesh Yadav. The Samajwadi Party MP pointed to June 4, the day election results were announced, as a milestone in India's political landscape, claiming that the nation had liberated itself from communal politics.