The AAP on Friday accused the BJP of orchestrating a “massive electoral fraud” during the Bihar assembly elections, alleging the systematic transportation of lakhs of voters from other states to influence the polls.
AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned the integrity of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Bihar, calling it a sham designed to benefit the BJP. He claimed the entire exercise was used to manipulate voter rolls and facilitate double voting.
“The BJP organised a systematic operation, funding and transporting lakhs of people from other states to Bihar by train so that they could vote for the party. Providing free transport to voters is bribery that directly influences elections,” Bharadwaj said during a media interaction.
The AAP leader cited the cases of RSS ideologue Rakesh Sinha and BJP Purvanchal Morcha President Santosh Ojha. He stated that Sinha, who voted in Bihar, continues to teach at Delhi’s Motilal Nehru College, raising questions about his claimed permanent shift to Bihar. Similarly, he alleged that Ojha had voted in both the Delhi and Bihar assembly elections.
“If people living in other states still have their votes registered in Bihar, what purpose does SIR serve? The BJP must answer why lakhs were sent to Bihar to vote,” Bharadwaj demanded.
Bharadwaj further claimed that the BJP funded large-scale voter transfers through special trains, sharing videos allegedly showing these movements. He asserted that while these were presented as ‘Chhath special’ trains, their real purpose was to transport voters for the elections.
He explained that the BJP systematically identified voters under the SIR exercise, ensured their names were not deleted from the rolls, and then transported them to Bihar with all travel arrangements made by the party just before polling.
The AAP leader contended that providing free transportation to voters constitutes a corrupt electoral practice. He referenced legal precedents, including a 2021 Madras High Court judgment which found that arranging transportation for voters amounts to gratification and bribery under Section 123(1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
Bharadwaj stated that under law, transportation counts as a form of “gratification” as it saves money, time, and effort for the voter, thereby influencing the sanctity of the electoral process.