Urging the Election Commission of India “to work for law, not for BJP”, Leader of Opposition and Congress Rahul Gandhi Wednesday cautioned the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance government against “trying to apply the Maharashtra model of inflating voters”.
“Bihar had been its own distinct model,” Gandhi said as he led the INDIA bloc protest against Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision — an exercise meant to update voter lists by verifying existing entries and adding new voters ahead of elections – in Patna. The process, which involves door-to-door verification, submission of address proofs, and filling out detailed forms, has been facing opposition on the ground that it could disenfranchise lakhs of voters.
Wearing his signature white T-shirt, Gandhi rode an open truck along with allies such as Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Communist Party of India (ML-Liberation) chief Dipankar Bhattacharya, Communist Party of India’s D Raja, and Vikassheel Insaan Party’s (VIP) Mukesh Sahani. The march began at the Income Tax roundabout and was meant to end at the Bihar Chief Electoral Office, located 500 metres from the Vidhan Sabha. However, the protesters were stopped at the Vidhan Sabha, forcing the march to end there.
The march, which came the day before the Supreme Court’s hearing of the petition, also banded together the INDIA bloc and gave it renewed vigour months before the Bihar assembly polls.
Significantly, Congress flags filled Patna roads the first time, suggesting its slow assertion in RJD-led Mahagathbandhan.
In his speech, Gandhi referred to the Opposition’s allegations of election rigging. Most recently, the Opposition – including the Congress – had made the allegations in last year’s Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly polls.
Gandhi once again reiterated these allegations Wednesday. “When we analysed poll data of Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections, we saw a surge of 10 percent votes. Each constituency that reported a surge was won by the BJP. We asked EC to explain to us the surge but it has yet to share its videos with us,” he said.
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In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, one crore voters were added but the EC never gave an explanation, he claimed.
“The EC should tell us if it has been trying to implement the Maharashtra model — in which most new voters voted for BJP – in Bihar. But remember, the Maharashtra model will not work in Bihar. We know people of Bihar would not allow this to happen,” he claimed.
He then went on to address the Election Commission directly. He also referred to the row over the nomination of election commissioners, and accused the National Democratic Alliance government of “trying to steal” people’s votes.
“Election Commission, your job is not to work for BJP. You should work for the law. You should do your job, otherwise, law will catch up with us,” he said. “We wanted election commissioners to be chosen by the government, the Opposition and the CJI but it wasn’t allowed. BJP nominates election commissioners.”
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In his speech, RJD leader and the Leader of Opposition in Bihar’s Assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, accusing it of interfering with the election body.
“This is not chunav ayog (election commission), this is Modi Ayog (Modi commission). But we cannot allow this dadagiri (high handed). There has been an attempt to finish democracy in Bihar, the mother of the republic,” he said. “A revolution will take place, not through slogans but votes,” he said.
He also accused the ECI of diluting its rules, claiming the changes were “confusing” people.
“The EC has been changing rules for block-level officers,” he said.
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Communist Party of India (ML-Liberation)’s chief Dipankar Bhattacharya called it an “an attempt of vote-bandi, and CPI leader D Raja accused the Modi government of “siding with Ambani and is not with the poor”.
“Bihar Assembly elections should be held as per 2024 Lok Sabha electoral roll. There’s still time for the ECI and the Supreme Court to listen to the voice of the people… It is ironic that while people choose government in a democracy, this government has been out to choose its voters,” he said.
Meanwhile, VIP leader Mukesh Sahani, a key EBC ally of INDIA bloc in Bihar, called SIR “a black law” calling for the exercise to be called off.
“Modi na cholbe Bihar mein (Modi will not have his way in Bihar). If you attempt to do in Bihar what you did in Maharashtra polls, there would be revolution,” Sahani said.
