Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday launched a fresh attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the BJP, alleging that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Bihar was an “institutionalised way” of stealing votes.
Speaking at a press conference during the ongoing Voter Adhikar Yatra in Araria, Gandhi claimed lakhs of voters’ names were deleted under the SIR process. He alleged that the BJP had raised no objections because of what he called a “partnership” between the ruling party and the poll body.
“In Bihar, SIR is an institutionalised way for vote theft. Lakhs of voters’ names were deleted; the Opposition is complaining, but the BJP has not complained even once because there is a partnership between the Election Commission, the Election Commissioner and the BJP,” Gandhi said.
He further asserted that the Opposition would not allow elections in Bihar to be “stolen” as he alleged had happened in Maharashtra and Haryana. “Our pressure is to change the Election Commission’s behaviour. In Karnataka, we showed how vote theft was attempted, and in Bihar too, we will resist it,” he added.
Responding to criticism that his remarks tarnished the ECI’s image, Gandhi accused the poll body of bias. He pointed out that while he was asked to submit an affidavit after raising concerns, Union Minister Anurag Thakur, who had made similar allegations against Opposition-ruled states, was not subjected to the same demand. “The media knows who the Election Commission is standing with,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav resumed the Voter Adhikar Yatra from Purnea district, riding motorcycles as part of their campaign. The 16-day march, covering 1,300 km across 20 districts, aims to highlight alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise. It will culminate in Patna on September 1.
