Voter Controversy: Who identified 1.27 crore missing Hindu voters in Uttar Pradesh?

A major political controversy has erupted in Uttar Pradesh over the voter list ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has claimed that 1.27 crore Hindu voters have been left out of the electoral rolls, while Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has questioned the basis of this figure and accused the BJP of trying to create fear among voters. Yadav has also alleged that the BJP may bring people from other states to get their names added to the voter list fraudulently. The key question is how the number of excluded Hindu voters was calculated when official voter lists do not contain a religion column. The BJP reportedly arrived at the figure by adding a 66-lakh difference between panchayat and Assembly voter lists, 55 lakh government beneficiaries missing from the Assembly rolls and around six lakh young people aged 18–19. The party says its classification is based on booth-level surveys and local verification. BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary has urged workers to help people add missing names. Akhilesh, meanwhile, claims PDA voters have been disproportionately affected. The debate over the methodology behind the figures continues.