Kannauj (UP), (PTI) Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday claimed that fake Aadhaar cards were used for casting votes in the recent Uttar Pradesh urban local body elections and this also makes the BJP’s victory “fake”.

Officials were acting on the instructions of BJP leaders during the elections, the SP chief charged while speaking to reporters in Talgram town here.

He also congratulated SP candidate Mohsin Khan alias Janu for winning from Talgram Nagar Panchayat.

The BJP swept the mayoral elections in Uttar Pradesh, winning all 17 mayoral seats.

Claiming that thousands of fake Aadhaar cards had been found in Kannauj, Yadav said, “When Aadhaar cards are fake, votes are also fake and then the BJP’s victory is also fake.” Some officers were acting at the behest of the BJP during the elections, he alleged.

A woman legislator of the ruling party visited polling booths and got fake votes cast, he claimed, without naming anyone.

In Chandauli, Yadav claimed, a transgender candidate won but the result was changed. However, the actual result was restored after transgender people chased officials with sticks, he said.

“Votes were openly looted from Kannauj to Mainpuri. Just like transgender people saved democracy by picking up sticks in Chandauli, everyone will have to be ready to save democracy,” he said.

The urban local body polls were held in two phases — on May 4 and May 11 — to elect 17 mayors and 1,401 corporators. Nineteen corporators were elected unopposed, according to the State Election Commission.

Responding to a question on the Karnataka elections, Yadav said people are the winners in the state.

“The BJP always does politics of hatred but it has been defeated by the public in Karnataka. People have voted against inflation,” he said.