Akhilesh Yadav is very upset with the manner in which his party candidates were forced to withdraw from the fray and made to join BJP. The former chief minister alleged the blatant misuse of power by BJP to win elections unopposed.

The Samajwadi Party national president said that people were fed up of the misuse of power, large scale corruption and mishandling of the pandemic and therefore they would bring back Samajwadi Party to power in 2022. The only consolation for Samajwadi Party is the victory of party candidate Abhishek Yadav unopposed in hometown of Yadav family Itawah. Abhishek Yadav belongs to the family of Mulayam Singh Yadav. Akhilesh Yadav was so shocked by the mismanagement in his party which failed to get proposers in various districts that he sacked 11 district presidents.

CPI national secretary Atul Anjaan said that the manner in which ruling BJP was misusing official machinery in the panchayat polls was a big blow to democracy. When BJP was defeated in Varanasi, Mathura and Ayodhya and large number of districts, how could 21 district presidents win unopposed, he asked. The CPI leader said that money played a big role in purchasing support for the ruling party in panchayats polls. Atul Anjaan said that he would urge President of India to ensure that the panchayat elections be held on party line to remove role of money power in future. He said that there should be transparency in panchayats polls.

RLD president Jayant Choudhry too has alleged misuse of power by ruling BJP, especially in western UP, where the farmers agitation impacted the panchayats polls. Despite having support from Samajwadi Party, RLD could not field candidates in several districts.

Congress Party state president Ajay Kumar Lalloo alleged that there was gross misuse of official machinery in the zila panchayats polls by BJP and said the public would give a befitting reply in the next assembly polls. Ajay Lalloo said he was satisfied with the performance of party candidates in the zila panchayat members. Significantly, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has asked state leaders to shortlist the names of candidates for the next assembly polls on the basis of their performance in panchayat polls. (IPA Service)