Bihar: Tejashwi Yadav, Leader of RJD, once more announces potential election boycott, alleging ECI's favoritism towards BJP
Controversy Surrounding Voter Lists in Upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections
In the lead-up to the Bihar Assembly elections, allegations of irregularities and electoral fraud related to the voter list revisions have emerged, with Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at the forefront of the protests.
Rahul Gandhi has accused the Election Commission of "vote chori" (vote theft) during the revision process, claiming the deletion and addition of voters in a manner that undermines electoral fairness. To protest these alleged irregularities, Rahul Gandhi launched a "Voter Adhikar Yatra" across Bihar.
Tejashwi Yadav has made several allegations, including that the Election Commission robbed votes at the behest of the BJP, citing the example of Muzaffarpur Mayor and senior BJP leader Nirmala Devi, who has two EPIC number IDs in the same assembly constituency with mismatched ages. He also accused the BJP's Bihar in-charge Bhikhu Bhai Dalsania of being registered in Bihar's voter list despite being from Gujarat.
Moreover, Tejashwi Yadav claimed that Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha received a notice from the Election Commission only after the RJD raised two EPIC numbers associated with him. He also alleged that Sinha's name appeared in two districts, but only the administration of one district served him a notice.
The Election Commission of India, led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, has categorically dismissed these allegations, stating that the electoral rolls are prepared with transparency and impartiality. The Commission has demanded signed affidavits to substantiate such claims.
The opposition’s protests and social media campaigns have highlighted concerns over the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) process of electoral rolls in Bihar. The ECI insists that the process involves all political parties and voters for corrections, providing avenues to file claims and objections through September 1, 2025.
However, broader concerns about electoral roll irregularities, such as duplicate Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers assigned to single individuals, have been reported across India. Although these irregularities create fears of possible double voting, no evidential claim of actual multiple voting by individuals has been confirmed yet.
Tejashwi Yadav has vowed to expose flaws in the SIR process and has threatened to boycott the upcoming state elections due to alleged large-scale irregularities by the Election Commission. The controversy surrounding the voter list is gaining attention as the Assembly elections are approaching, and it is emerging as a flashpoint between the ruling NDA and the opposition Mahagathbandhan.
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