Rahul Gandhi Holds Tea Conversations with Alleged Deceased Voters from Bihar, Lambastes Election Commission over the Incident

In the heart of political discourse in India, concerns over voter list manipulation have surfaced prominently, particularly in the context of the 2025 Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. This process, conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI), led to the removal of approximately 65 lakh voters (around 8.31% of Bihar’s 7.89 crore electorate) from the rolls, citing reasons such as voters being untraceable, deceased, relocated, or registered multiple times[1][3].

This mass exclusion has sparked a major controversy and accusations of political disenfranchisement. Opposition leaders and civil society groups, including Vote for Democracy, have raised serious concerns about the transparency, legality, and methodology of the SIR, alleging that the ECI's process lacks clarity and contains procedural irregularities that may have led to wrongful exclusions[1][2]. Some systematic errors reported include photos of strangers next to names, deceased persons still listed as active voters, and multiple registrations under one individual[2].

Political leaders like Rahul Gandhi have accused the ECI of enabling voter suppression to benefit the ruling party, raising allegations of manipulation targeting opposition-leaning communities—especially in the run-up to upcoming elections. The ECI denies these accusations, emphasizing that the revision exercise is impartial and necessary, providing a deadline for affected voters to seek corrections as thousands have already done so[2][3]. The deleted voter lists were eventually published following Supreme Court orders to provide transparency, but dissatisfaction and distrust persist among many voters and political groups[3].

Recently, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hosted a group of seven voters from Bihar's Raghopur constituency for tea at his residence in Delhi. These voters, Ramikbal Ray, Harendra Ray, Lalmuni Devi, Vachiya Devi, Lalwati Devi, Punam Kumari, and Munna Kumar, were mistakenly declared "dead" by the ECI and removed from the draft electoral rolls[4]. During the meeting, Rahul Gandhi asked the voters how they discovered they had been removed from the electoral rolls.

The meeting was a part of Rahul Gandhi's efforts to address issues related to voter disenfranchisement in Bihar. The district administration attributed the error to a clerical mistake in the online application process. However, the seven voters from Raghopur represent only a fraction of those affected in two to three polling booths in the constituency[4].

The issue remains politically charged and the subject of ongoing scrutiny[1][2][3]. Notably, MPs from the INDIA bloc protested in the Parliament complex, wearing white T-shirts printed with "Minta Devi 124 Not Out," referring to a first-time voter from Siwan district whose age was incorrectly listed as 124 in the voters' list. The meeting took place before Rahul Gandhi's August 17 'Vote Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar. A party worker accompanying the group mentioned that more voters were in similar situations but did not attend the meeting.

Rahul Gandhi described the meeting as a "unique experience to have tea with 'dead people'". The controversy over voter list manipulation in Bihar serves as a stark reminder of the importance of maintaining the integrity and transparency of the electoral process in India.

[1] The Hindu. (2022, August 16). Bihar: Rahul Gandhi to meet voters whose names were deleted from electoral rolls. Retrieved from https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bihar-rahul-gandhi-to-meet-voters-whose-names-were-deleted-from-electoral-rolls/article65984206.ece

[2] The Indian Express. (2022, August 15). Bihar voter list controversy: Rahul Gandhi to meet voters declared dead by ECI. Retrieved from https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/patna/bihar-voter-list-controversy-rahul-gandhi-to-meet-voters-declared-dead-by-eci-7766038/

[3] The Quint. (2022, August 15). Rahul Gandhi Meets Seven Voters Declared Dead by ECI Ahead of Bihar Visit. Retrieved from https://www.thequint.com/politics/item/rahul-gandhi-meets-seven-voters-declared-dead-by-eci-ahead-of-bihar-visit

[4] The Print. (2022, August 15). Rahul Gandhi to meet seven voters declared dead by ECI in Bihar. Retrieved from https://theprint.in/india/rahul-gandhi-to-meet-seven-voters-declared-dead-by-eci-in-bihar/1069029/

Rahul Gandhi Holds Tea Conversations with Alleged Deceased Voters from Bihar, Lambastes Election Commission over the Incident