Political firestorm erupts in India over Bihar voter list revision; Opposition alleges ‘organized vote theft’
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has sharply criticized the Election Commission, asserting it has lost its neutrality.
New Delhi/Patna: India is engulfed in a major political controversy surrounding the “Special Intensive Revision of Voter Lists” (SIR) currently underway in Bihar. The Congress and other INDIA Alliance parties have launched strong accusations against the Modi government, alleging that the Election Commission (EC) is being used as a political tool to deliberately exclude minority voters.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has sharply criticized the Election Commission, asserting it has lost its neutrality. He labeled the addition of thousands of questionable new voters as “organized vote theft” and declared, “The Election Commission is not functioning as the Election Commission of India. Today they made some statement. This is complete nonsense.” Krishna Alavaru, Congress’s Bihar in-charge, further condemned SIR as an “authoritarian act.” These allegations have intensified protests, with opposition leaders even warning of a possible election boycott. Fears of large-scale electoral fraud across India have been fueled by claims of BJP involvement in voter form manipulation.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has defended the SIR exercise, the first of its kind in Bihar in 22 years, as a necessary “clean-up” of electoral rolls. They reported that 99.8% of voters in Bihar have been covered, identifying over 22 lakh (2.2 million) deceased voters, 7 lakh (0.7 million) duplicate entries, and 35 lakh (3.5 million) untraceable or permanently moved individuals. The ECI maintains that the process is inclusive and no eligible elector will be excluded, stating that the exercise adds to the “purity of elections” by removing ineligible persons. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, in response to the criticism, asked, “Should we be swayed by these attacks and allow bogus votes to be cast in the name of deceased, permanently shifted, enrolled at two or more places or illegal foreign immigrants?”
Despite the ECI’s defense, opposition parties argue that the stringent documentation requirements and tight deadlines disproportionately affect vulnerable communities, including migrants and minorities, who often lack the necessary citizenship documents. The controversy has stalled parliamentary proceedings and led to a “Bihar Bandh” (strike) by the RJD-Congress led Grand Alliance, disrupting daily life in parts of the state. The Supreme Court is currently hearing petitions challenging the SIR, with petitioners alleging widespread irregularities and “grave fraud on voters.” The final electoral roll is expected to be published on September 30.
Source: PTV
