Oppn unites against electoral roll revision
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Patna: All allies of the opposition INDIA bloc joined forces on Friday to vehemently oppose the
Election Commission
's decision to carry out a special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls ahead of the
Bihar assembly elections
.
The leaders termed the move "objectionable and worrying" and alleged it was aimed at indirectly aiding the ruling NDA. They pledged to resist what they called the EC's "arbitrary actions".
Addressing a joint press conference, leader of the opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said, "We smell a big conspiracy in this decision. How can the electoral roll of eight crore voters be updated in just one month, especially when the monsoon has arrived and 73% of Bihar is flood-prone? Should people save their lives or arrange documents to get their names added to the voters' list?"
Tejashwi alleged that the entire exercise was meant to disenfranchise poor, Dalit, underprivileged and minority voters by demanding documents that many of them cannot easily obtain.
"Why the sudden urgency to complete the SIR in 25 days, when this has never been done in the past 22 years?" he asked. He warned that once names are removed from the electoral roll, the next step could be the denial of welfare benefits like pensions, rations, and scholarships.
Citing government figures, he said around three crore migrant workers from Bihar may not be able to verify their identity in such a short period.
He also criticised the inconsistency in the Election Commission's recent moves.
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"If the EC can conduct Lok Sabha elections using the current voter roll, why can't it do the same for the assembly elections?" he asked, adding that the opposition bloc would soon seek an audience with the EC. "This is a clear plan to delete names to benefit the ruling alliance," he alleged.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera claimed that the SIR amounted to a "dacoity" of the poor voters' rights. "Wherever the NDA is in trouble, it turns to such tactics," he said. On social media, the Congress warned, "Beware Bihar! The Maharashtra-style game is now set in Bihar!"
CPI-ML general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya also raised alarm, stating, "It is supposed to be the voters who elect the govt, but in this case, the govt is choosing the voters." Calling the exercise unconstitutional, he said, "We will oppose this at every level… Har morche par ladai hogi… Ham Loktantra ka mazaak nahin banane denge." CPI leader Rambabu Kumar and CPI(M) leader Arun Kumar were also present at the press conference.
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