A day after Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav responded to the idea of “considering boycott” of the upcoming Assembly polls in the state over alleged “discrepancies” in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Congress in-charge for the state, Krishna Allavaru, said on Thursday that “discussions are going on on every option”.
Allavaru’s remarks at a press interaction at AICC headquarters on Akbar Road in Delhi came on a day when Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi reiterated that the Congress has “concrete 100 per cent proof” that the Election Commission allowed cheating in a constituency in Karnataka. Gandhi also warned the poll panel that it would not get away with this “because we are going to come for you”.
Allavaru said that the INDIA bloc’s stand has been clear from the beginning. “This process is a theft of elections. And the Opposition is standing with the people in every possible way. Talks on every option are ongoing. But one thing is clear that through this process, the votes of the people of Bihar are being snatched away, elections are being stolen from them, and this is not just about Bihar, this is about the country and clearly, all avenues are open, everything is being discussed. When a decision is taken, you will be informed,” he said.
In response to a question outside the Assembly on whether the Opposition could boycott polls, Tejashwi had said, “We can discuss this. We will discuss this with allies and people. If such is the situation when one decides who gets (wins) how many seats, there is no need to hold elections.”
Allavaru also challenged Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar “to pick 1,000 random people in every constituency in Bihar and scrutinise if the laid down processes are being followed or not”.
“Even if 25 per cent turns out to be genuine, we will accept this procedure. The truth is, this voter list is of the BJP and Gyanesh Kumar. We don’t accept it,” Allavaru said.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in the Parliament complex on Thursday, Gandhi said that the poll panel is not functioning as the Election Commission of India and is “not doing its job”.
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Claiming that his party has “concrete 100 per cent proof” of the EC allowing cheating in a seat in Karnataka, Gandhi said, “Not 90 per cent, when we decide to show it to you, it is a 100 per cent proof.”
“We just looked at one constituency, and we found this. I am absolutely convinced that constituency after constituency, this is the drama that is taking place. Thousands and thousands of new voters, how old are they? 45, 50, 60, 65, thousands and thousands of them in one constituency. This is one thing, voter deletion, voter addition, new voters who are way above 18 (is going on)… so we have caught them,” he said.
“I want to send a message to the Election Commission–if you think you are going to get away with this, if your officers think they are going to get away with this, you are mistaken, you are not going to get away with this because we are going to come for you,” Gandhi told reporters.
Opposition parties on Thursday protested at Makar Dwar in the Parliament complex against the Bihar SIR. The protest saw MPs from most INDIA bloc parties in attendance.
