Amid mounting opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday issued a strong warning, saying the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) may consider boycotting the upcoming state elections if the revision exercise is not withdrawn.
Addressing the media, Yadav questioned the timing and intent behind the SIR exercise, alleging that the ruling BJP is manipulating the voter rolls to its advantage.
“When the same voters helped elect PM Modi in the past, it was acceptable. Now suddenly lakhs of names are being deleted. If this is allowed to continue, we may have no option but to boycott the elections,” Yadav said.
He also hinted at a wider consensus-building effort, stating that he would speak with other Mahagathbandhan parties on the possibility of a collective boycott.
Yadav accused the central government of remotely controlling the process, claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were behind the push for voter roll revisions.
Meanwhile, opposition protests intensified both in Bihar and Delhi. INDIA bloc MPs held demonstrations for the fourth consecutive day in Parliament, raising slogans at the Makar Dwar entrance and demanding a halt to the SIR process.
Carrying placards reading “SIR – Attack on Democracy”, leaders including Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi, JMM MP Mahua Maji, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Priyanka Chaturvedi, and RJD’s Manoj Jha joined the protest.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore submitted an adjournment motion, terming the SIR an “act of mass disenfranchisement” and a form of “institutional voter cleansing” under the Modi government. He further criticized it as a betrayal of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s legacy of universal adult franchise.
The Election Commission, however, maintains that the SIR is aimed at ensuring the accuracy of electoral rolls by removing ineligible, duplicate, or deceased voters. Bihar Assembly elections are expected to take place in October or November, though official dates are yet to be announced.
