Tejashwi seeks to puncture EC's claims on progress in SIR
Tejashwi Yadav
on Sunday cast doubts over the
Election Commission
's claim that the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar was progressing at a brisk pace and would be completed before the July 25 deadline.
Addressing a press conference here, the leader of the opposition in the state assembly also took strong exception to the EC's "silence" on the Supreme Court's suggestion that Aadhar card and ration card be included in the list of acceptable documents, to be submitted by voters whose names did not figure in the electoral rolls of 2003 when SIR was last conducted.
The young leader said, "In its press note issued on Saturday, the EC claimed that more than 80 per cent of the state's 7.90 crore voters have already been covered under SIR. This is a bewildering claim considering the fact that an estimated four crore people from Bihar live in other states."
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
The Top 25 Most Beautiful Women In The World
Articles Vally
Undo
"We would like to know from the EC how many such migrants have been covered under the exercise. It is well known that during the elections, a large number of people return to their home state to cast their votes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, several special trains had to be run for an estimated 40 lakh returnees. The EC should disclose what arrangements were made this time," the former deputy chief minister said.
The EC seems to be playing with figures to give a false impression that it has been undertaking this exercise competently, he alleged.
Live Events
"We have received complaints that booth-level officers (BLOs) are under pressure to achieve targets and they are ending up collecting enumerating forms without getting those duly signed and filled up by the voters concerned," he added.
Yadav also had a few video clips played, in which enumeration forms were shown strewn on the streets, to underscore that the SIR was marred by many irregularities.
However, the X handle of the chief electoral officer has been running "fact checks" debunking these videos.
Yadav alleged, "The EC is never coming up with a proper statement or press conference explaining what it intends to do about the SC order earlier this week when it was told to consider including Aadhar card and ration card."
There is no clarity on the role that booth-level agents nominated by political parties are supposed to play in the exercise, he said.
"In its tearing hurry to meet the July 25 deadline, the EC came up with an advertisement proclaiming that those unable to submit their documents may just deposit their forms, leaving the remaining things for the claims/objections stage. But there was no official notification to this effect and the BLOs are confused," claimed the chairman of the INDIA bloc's coordination committee for the state assembly polls due later this year.
Yadav, who spoke in the presence of a number of alliance partners, also said, "We still hold the view that SIR is an exercise aimed at depriving, wrongfully, many existing voters of their right to franchise in order to benefit the ruling NDA. Leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should be squarely blamed for this undemocratic move."
In the 2020 assembly polls, there were several seats in which candidates of
Mahagathbandhan
(INDIA bloc's Bihar prototype) lost by margins of 3,000 votes or less. A little manipulation in the voters' list can easily tilt the scales. If indeed the EC believes that the voters' list had been suspect so far, it should declare last year's Lok Sabha elections as null and void, Yadav said.
He scoffed at the claim of the BJP that the exercise was essential to weed out "illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and Rohingyas" from the voters' list.
"In the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP-led coalition did exceedingly well. Even last year, the NDA bagged 30 out of the state's 40 seats. So the BJP should tell us whether it thinks the alleged infiltrators were voting for Narendra Modi," he added. PTI
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
26 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: Shubhanshu Shukla, crew's return journey to Earth; Jannik Sinner wins Wimbledon 2025; and more
Good morning! After over two weeks at the International Space Station (ISS), NASA's Axiom-4 mission crew with Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and 3 others are set to begin their journey back to Earth today. In his farewell address on the eve of day of return, Group Captain Shukla, the first Indian on board the ISS,said: 'Today's India looks ambitious from space… today's India still looks 'saare jahan se acha.' The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which has been an equal partner in the entire exercise, said the microgravity experiments conducted by Shukla during the mission represent a significant leap in space technology. From the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft undocking to the splashdown off California coast on Tuesday – catch all the real-time action via our live blog! Follow suit: The Election Commission's move to carry out the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls stirred up confusion and quite a controversy. But, there's more to follow. A day after a petition was filed in the Supreme Court challenging the decision, the poll panel wrote to Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all other states on July 5, directing them to begin preparations for a similar exercise, The Indian Express has learnt. Qualifying date: The official letters sent out indicate that while the nationwide exercise may start soon, a final timeline for the rest of the country is yet to be decided — though the aim is to include everyone who turns 18 years of age by January 1, 2026. Likely impact: This move gains significance against the backdrop of the upcoming Assembly elections in 2025 in BJP-ruled Assam; TMC-ruled West Bengal; DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu; and Left-ruled Kerala. The Union Territory of Puducherry will also elect a new Assembly next year. Whether the SIR in these four states — three of which are ruled by Opposition parties — will be linked to the Assembly elections next year may depend on how the top court hearing on the Bihar exercise unfolds. 🎧For a detailed recap of the Bihar case in court, tune in to today's episode of our 3 Things podcast. Some unanswered questions: Over the weekend, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) preliminary report on the probe into the deadly Air India Boeing Dreamliner crash near Ahmedabad airport on June 12 came into the spotlight. The initial probe report, released on Saturday morning, is only an account of the initial findings of the investigation, and is subject to change. That said, there's some scope for reading between the lines. From sketchy cockpit voice recorder (CVR) details to an interesting addition of an aviation psychologist in the probe team – this particular report marks a departure from the normal. Here's more. GST reforms: To speed up the process of overhauling the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to initiate discussions with all stakeholders — states as well as Central ministries — to resolve outstanding issues. This brings the proposal to do away with the 12 per cent slab back on the table. Though this would simplify the multiple rate structure, it is estimated to amount to significant losses of Rs 70,000-80,000 crore for the Centre and states combined, top sources said. Iran's 'air power': For the Opinions section today, columnist Syed Ata Hasnain writes on the longstanding asymmetry in Iran's force structure and what it needs to be a strategic global actor. In reference to the Iranian strikes on Israel in April 2024, the former corps commander of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps explains why the country's 'missile-rich, air force-poor doctrine was, surprisingly, decades in the making'. 'Adult content', AI and an arrest: Last week, an Assamese woman's 'provocative posts' on Instagram made her an overnight sensation over claims that she had entered the adult film industry. Now, it has emerged that she was the victim of a cybercrime from a man she studied with, and who allegedly morphed her images and videos using AI tools to harass her. The 30-year-old accused was arrested on Saturday night, after the police tracked him down via information that he had provided to create the profile, which gathered over a million followers in a short period. Sinner is a winner: On Sunday evening, Jannik Sinner rounded out a deserved four-set victory to win his first Wimbledon title. The win tasted sweeter to the Italian as it came against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, only five weeks after the latter clinched the French Open title. The World No. 1's best came out in a match that lacked the same epic feel of their clash in Paris last month. Until next time Vibha Vibha B Madhava is a sub-editor at the news desk for She is interested in writing about gender, culture and politics of ableism. Having specialised in digital journalism, she is keen to explore various forms of interactive, multimedia storytelling. Apart from that, she also likes to experiment with social media. Qualification, Degrees/other achievements: Bachelor's degree in Media and Communication from Manipal Institute of Communication, Manipal Academy of Higher Education. PG Diploma in Integrated Multimedia Journalism from Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. With The Indian Express, this is Vibha's first stint in pursuing journalism in a full-time capacity. Previous internship experience: Deccan Herald, Bengaluru; The News Minute, Bengaluru; The Mojo Story; Radio Indigo 91.9 and Fever FM 94.3 (Hyderabad) You can find her on Twitter as @VibhaBMadhava , on LinkedIn (Vibha B Madhava), or write to her at ... Read More
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
France announces agreement to give New Caledonia more autonomy
'A bet on Trust': France annexed New Caledonia, a collection of Pacific islands with a population of about 270,000, in 1853 and populated it with white settlers. Indigenous Kanaks now make up about 40% of the population, while Europeans account for a quarter (NYT) France and New Caledonia announced an agreement Saturday that would give the semiautonomous Pacific territory more freedoms but stops short of granting it independence, more than a year after violent and deadly protests there against French rule. The agreement would create the "State of New Caledonia" within the French Republic, according to the 13-page document. The state would be enshrined in France's Constitution, and other nations would be allowed to recognize it. "A State of New Caledonia within the Republic: It's a bet on trust," President Emmanuel Macron of France said on social media. The agreement must be approved by both the French parliament and the people of New Caledonia, a collection of Pacific islands with a population of about 270,000. It concludes a tense negotiation involving the French government and the territory's pro- and anti-independence groups. Last year, there were protests and riots in New Caledonia over a proposed amendment to the French Constitution that some Indigenous Kanak people feared would dilute their voting power and hamper their aspiration for independence. Seven people died in the riots, many more were injured, and businesses suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Đây có thể là thời điểm tốt nhất để giao dịch vàng trong 5 năm qua IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo France declared a state of emergency for the territory, which has large reserves of nickel and is a crucial foothold for France in a region where China is asserting its influence. Hundreds of armed French police officers were mobilized. Macron denounced the protests at the time as an "insurrection movement" and called on pro- and anti-independence groups to negotiate an agreement that would be submitted for approval by a popular referendum in New Caledonia. The agreement announced Saturday would create a New Caledonian nationality and allow for residents to hold dual French and New Caledonian nationality. French citizens who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years would "acquire" New Caledonian nationality. That provision appears to be addressing the discontent that led to the 2024 riots: the French government's backing of a constitutional amendment that would give voting rights to some people who had moved to the territory after 1998. Voting had been put off for more than two decades after the French government agreed in the 1980s to hold an independence referendum, following armed conflict that claimed dozens of lives. Authorities also agreed to freeze the rolls so that new arrivals, who were thought to be more likely to support French rule, would not sway the vote. Tensions have simmered for decades in the territory over long-standing social inequality and the prospect of independence. France annexed New Caledonia in 1853 and populated it with white settlers. Indigenous Kanaks now make up about 40% of the population, while Europeans make up about a quarter. The territory held three independence referendums from 2018 to 2021; all were voted down. Discontent bubbled in 2021 when Macron insisted on holding the third referendum despite pleas from Kanak leaders to delay it because of the coronavirus pandemic. Many Kanak leaders called for a boycott of the vote and have since refused to accept the results, in which 97% of voters wanted the territory to stay in France but just 44% of the population voted. Previous referendums passed with higher voter turnout but smaller margins.
India Gazette
44 minutes ago
- India Gazette
"MP govt made such policies under PM Modi leadership that people's trust in India increased": Mohan Yadav
Dubai [UAE], July 14 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has been engaging with investors in Dubai, highlighting the state's attractive policies and growing reputation as a hub for investment. During his visit, CM Yadav met with various investors and presented opportunities in Madhya Pradesh, sparking significant interest across different sectors. Speaking to ANI, he said, 'I have been meeting different investors in Dubai since morning... The Madhya Pradesh government has made such policies under the leadership of PM Modi that people's trust in India has increased.' 'Madhya Pradesh has become a centre of hope in the country. Investors from all sectors have shown their interest on a large scale,' he added. Highlighting his engagements, he affirmed, 'I welcome everyone. We gave presentations. Discussions were held at different levels. I thank the Dubai administration for improving business management and making it easier for people to do business globally. This is a perfect example of this for people from Dubai.' CM Yadav's visit to Dubai included a tour of the Swaminarayan temple, which he described as 'the temple of God and India's trust.' 'I also visited the Swaminarayan temple... This is the temple of God and India's trust,' he said. Earlier in the day, the MP CM held an interactive session with the Madhya Pradesh diaspora in Dubai, where he emphasised that the Indian community abroad has been instrumental in spreading India's influence globally, like 'sugar in milk; they mix and give sweetness.' During the interactive session, CM Yadav said that the 'Indian community has always been like sugar in milk; they mix and give sweetness.' 'Our culture teaches us to stay connected to our roots wherever we are. This is what PM Modi calls 'Virasat Se Vikas,' he added. Further, CM Yadav expressed pride in PM Modi's efforts to address issues faced by Indians both within the country and abroad. 'Today, there is India's wave, and it is because of PM Modi... No matter where one wants to reach in the world, they have to go via India... Everyone tries to take a photo with PM Modi. It fills us with pride,' he said. 'We have seen under his leadership that he solves issues for his people, not just within the country but also for the Indian community abroad,' he added. Yadav arrived in Dubai for Global Dialogue 2025. His official visit to Dubai in the UAE and to Spain is scheduled from July 13 to July 19. His visit aims to bring global investment to Madhya Pradesh, encourage technology sharing, and create new job opportunities. (ANI)
