Political tensions have escalated in Bihar over the verification of the voter list. Opposition parties have openly criticized the special intensive revision process initiated by the Election Commission. On Wednesday, the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) organized a road blockade and protests across the state. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, and Pappu Yadav were seen on the streets during the demonstrations. The opposition alleges that the process is being carried out hastily and in a biased manner, with the aim of excluding specific groups from the voter list.
Rahul Gandhi led a march in Patna from the Income Tax Golambar to the Shaheed Smarak (Martyr's Memorial) and then to the Election Commission office. Meanwhile, MP Pappu Yadav staged a rail blockade at the Secretariat Halt in Purnia to register his protest. The opposition is calling this exercise an attack on democratic rights.
Commission Sets Timelines
The Election Commission had issued an order for a special intensive revision of the voter list in the state on June 24. Under this process, forms have been delivered to 97.42% (76.9 million) of the 78.96 million voters in the state. The commission claims that the verification work will be completed by July 25.
Subsequently, a draft voter list will be released on August 1. Individuals who have submitted documents will have their names included in the list by September 1. The commission has announced that the final voter list will be published on September 30. The Election Commission has also clarified that it is identifying voters who have either passed away, moved from their addresses, or migrated out of the state. The commission also stated that the process of adding the names of new voters is underway at the local level, ensuring that no eligible person's name is missed from the list.
Mahagathbandhan Calls It Biased
The opposition Mahagathbandhan has raised several questions about this entire process. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said that verifying 80 million voters in 25 days during the monsoon season, with conditions like floods and heavy rainfall, is impractical. He has demanded that alternative documents like job cards and MNREGA cards be recognized for verification, besides Aadhaar cards. Tejashwi Yadav also alleged that migrant laborers have been completely ignored in this process, while approximately 4 to 5 crore people from the state have migrated to different parts of the country for work, and there is no concrete system for them to return and get verified.
The Mahagathbandhan has termed the process a "conspiracy to implement NRC through the back door." The opposition claims that the entire exercise is a conspiracy to exclude a particular community and class from the voter list. They have accused the Election Commission of working under pressure from the NDA government and demanded that data related to verification be made public daily on the website.
The RJD, Congress, CPI, CPM, CPI-ML, VIP, AIMIM, and Pappu Yadav have supported the road blockade. Prashant Kishor, the leader of Jan Suraaj, has also bly criticized the process, calling it a ‘vote-blocking’ exercise.
Election Commission Clarifies
Responding to the opposition's allegations, the Election Commission has stated that the entire process is being conducted under rules and guidelines. The commission clarified that it is working with transparency and impartiality. The commission claims that a door-to-door verification of the voter list has been carried out on a large scale and that changes in voter information are being updated.
However, the opposition is not satisfied with the Election Commission's response and has already met with the commission on this issue. The matter has now reached the Supreme Court, where a hearing will be held on July 10. Meanwhile, the Mahagathbandhan has intensified its strategy of creating political pressure by taking to the streets.
Political Temperatures Rise Before Elections
Political rhetoric on this issue has also reached its peak. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav launched a sharp attack, saying that this entire process is a well-thought-out conspiracy to snatch the right to vote from the poor and marginalized sections. On the other hand, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, targeting the opposition, said that the public is being misled by making unnecessary noise, while the Election Commission is working with complete transparency and impartiality. JDU spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan also criticized the opposition, calling the entire protest a ‘political drama’.
Political activity has intensified from Patna, the state capital, to Purnia. Congress sees Rahul Gandhi's activism as a way to prove its presence, while Tejashwi and Pappu Yadav are trying to convey the message of opposition unity. The NDA has termed the entire protest a 'political stunt' by the opposition.
