Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of functioning as a “wing of a political party,” amid statewide protests during the Bihar Bandh.
Speaking to ANI, Yadav questioned the integrity of the electoral roll revision process and alleged political interference.
“The Election Commission has become a wing of a political party… Will two people from Gujarat decide which Bihari voter can vote and which cannot?” he said.
Yadav further claimed that the ECI was attempting to disenfranchise economically weaker sections of society.
“The Election Commission has lost its credibility. There are large-scale preparations underway to remove the names of poor people from the voter list. First their names will vanish, then their pensions and rations too,” he alleged.
The RJD leader, along with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, is expected to join the INDIA bloc’s protest in Patna against the ECI’s actions in poll-bound Bihar.
Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed also echoed Yadav’s criticism, accusing the NDA government and the Election Commission of causing public distress.
“Were the votes cast in the 2024 elections invalid? The ruling party and the ECI are harassing the public. This government cannot continue like this,” he said.
The Bihar Bandh, called by the opposition Mahagathbandhan, saw widespread participation across the state. Protesters blocked roads in several areas of Patna, including laying down on highways to obstruct traffic.
“We will keep protesting until our demands are met. The ruling party is misleading the people,” said one Congress protester.
Another demonstrator declared, “Bihar is completely shut today. We are united against the Election Commission’s rigging. We will not move even if a car runs over us.”
Protesters from the INDIA bloc also burned tyres and blocked traffic at the Maner stretch of National Highway 30 in Patna district as the agitation intensified.