Anwarul Hoda | Patna
Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, on Friday raised serious concerns over the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to undertake a large-scale voter list revision just ahead of the state assembly elections.
Calling it “a mockery of democracy and the Constitution,” Yadav said the timing and scale of the revision—aiming to update records of over 8 crore voters in just 25 days—undermines the integrity of the electoral process.
Speaking at a press conference with INDIA bloc leaders, Tejashwi announced that the alliance will challenge the decision and formally approach the Election Commission. “This move appears to be a calculated attempt to disenfranchise the poor, Dalits, Adivasis, minorities, and other marginalised groups,” he said.
He questioned the logic behind the timing, asking why the voter list was not revised before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. “If the list used in the general election was valid, why is it questionable now? If the government believes it wasn’t, then it should declare the Lok Sabha results null and void,” he remarked.
Yadav alleged that the voter list update is part of a broader effort to erode citizens’ rights and exclude the vulnerable from essential welfare schemes like food rations, pensions, and education support.
He further accused the BJP-RSS of systematically attacking constitutional principles, especially targeting secularism and socialism—values now being questioned even within the Constitution.
Bihar Congress President Rajesh Ram alleged that the Centre is trying to rig the Bihar polls as it allegedly did in Maharashtra. He warned of a strong public backlash if the voter count is manipulated.
Congress national spokesperson Pawan Khera echoed these concerns, claiming the Election Commission is being used to serve BJP’s interests. Citing recent surveys projecting a potential INDIA alliance victory in Bihar, Khera said the voter revision is a desperate attempt to sideline the youth, who are angry over unemployment, paper leaks, and job scarcity.
CPI (ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya compared the move to demonetisation, calling it an attack on democratic rights. “Requiring proof of eligibility is unjustified when the state itself fails to provide birth certificates,” he said.
Dev Jyoti, spokesperson of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), labelled the move a covert attempt to implement the NRC in Bihar. He warned that demanding documents from poor and backward communities is a discriminatory tactic designed to suppress their electoral voice.