The Congress on Saturday launched a strong attack on the Election Commission, claiming that several discrepancies have emerged in the final electoral rolls in Bihar. The party alleged that in some constituencies, the number of deleted voter names surpasses the margin of victory recorded in the previous assembly elections.
Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, accused the Election Commission of acting at the behest of the ruling party. “The Election Commission has orchestrated the entire SIR drama at the behest of the BJP,” he charged, referring to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He said the exercise appeared designed to give “political advantage to the BJP and its allies.”
Citing media report, Ramesh pointed to glaring inconsistencies in the voters’ list, such as “247 voters in a single household in Jamui” and the same individual’s name appearing “three times on the same booth.” He questioned the Election Commission’s silence on these anomalies and asked, “Will Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar explain how 247 voters were found in a single household and why one person's name appears 3-3 times on the same booth? Or will they, as before, remain silent?”
Ramesh alleged that despite the completion of the SIR, “numerous instances of irregularities in the final list indicate that the Election Commission has no regard for the clear orders of the Supreme Court.” According to him, the Commission’s conduct has been “functioning as the B-team of the BJP” and has “descended into complete shamelessness.”
The Congress leader further argued that the “lax functioning and politically biased policies” of the Election Commission were undermining democratic values. “We are reiterating once again that instead of rushing to complete the SIR process initiated to assist the BJP, the Election Commission should work impartially,” he said, adding that the institution “belongs to the entire country and should not appear like a puppet of the ruling party.”
The party reiterated its long-standing position that the ongoing revision of electoral rolls was aimed at selectively deleting names of opposition supporters. Congress and several other parties have previously moved the Supreme Court seeking to halt the SIR process, citing similar concerns.
Responding to the accusations, the Election Commission has maintained that it is carrying out the voter list revision strictly “in accordance with the law and the Constitution” and has dismissed allegations of political bias or irregularities.
Ramesh, however, insisted that the Commission’s credibility was at stake, arguing that its actions were “adversely affecting India's democracy and international image.” He emphasized that reports from across Bihar reinforce the belief that “the sole purpose of the entire process is to provide political advantage to the BJP and its allied parties.”
With the opposition sharpening its attack, the controversy around Bihar’s revised voter lists has reignited debate over electoral integrity ahead of the next major polls.
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