INDIA bloc demands halt to Bihar voter list revision; Rahul to lead protest march on Jul 9

The opposition INDIA bloc on Monday called for an immediate halt to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of the voter list in Bihar urging the Election Commission of India to conduct this exercise after the state assembly elections.

Talking to journalists here on Monday, the INDIA bloc leaders said that this exercise is suspicious and is an attack on democracy. They alleged that the Modi government is using constitutional institutions as per its own interests and this will be opposed at every level.

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They resolved to make the Bharat Bandh on 9 July a success to send a signal to the central government that people of Bihar will not tolerate any attack on their democratic rights.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will also join the protest march and demonstration in Patna.

Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav expressed serious concern over the Election Commission’s contradictory guidelines. He highlighted the commission’s issuance of three different sets of instructions within a single day regarding document submission deadlines, creating widespread confusion and eroding public trust.

He said: “The Election Commission has not yet responded to the questions and doubts raised by the INDIA Alliance leaders at the Patna office on 5 July. This lack of response is creating confusion and misleading the public. The ECI’s conflicting guidelines have further complicated the process.”

He added: “Instead of issuing guidelines through social media and newspaper advertisements, the Election Commission should issue clear, transparent press releases and notifications that address public questions, concerns, and errors point by point.”

Referring to the Election Commission’s newspaper advertisement, Bihar Congress President Rajesh Ram expressed concern over the excessive power vested in the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO). He argued that this could lead to bias, as a single person is susceptible to undue influence.

Mukesh Sahni of the VIP party claimed that the Election Commission has caused widespread distress. BLOs are struggling to reach voters in the limited time available, while voters themselves are stressed about obtaining the necessary documents. He alleged that the ruling party in Bihar is ignoring the people’s plight.

CPI leader Comrade Rambabu said that this exercise of the Election Commission is suspicious and is an attack on democracy. The Modi government is using constitutional institutions as per its own interests and this will be opposed at every level.