“Boycott is an Option”: Tejashwi on Bihar Polls Amid EC Row

• RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav alleges Election Commission is acting on BJP’s orders regarding Bihar voter list revision.
• He hinted that the Grand Alliance might consider boycotting the upcoming Bihar assembly polls, calling the process “dishonest.”
• Opposition MPs staged a “black protest” in Parliament after the government refused to discuss the voter list issue.

GG News Bureau
Patna, 23rd July: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging that the poll body is taking orders from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), rendering elections “meaningless” under such circumstances. He even suggested that the Opposition’s Grand Alliance might consider boycotting the upcoming Bihar assembly polls.

“If the BJP wants to run the government using fake voter lists, then just give them an extension. What’s the point of holding elections if the entire process is dishonest?” Tejashwi Yadav told news agency IANS, expressing his grave concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.

When directly asked about a potential boycott of the elections, Yadav stated, “Boycott is an option, but we will think about it. We will consult our alliance partners and the public before taking a final call.”

The controversy surrounding the SIR escalated dramatically in Parliament today, as Opposition members staged a “black protest” when the government reportedly refused to discuss the matter. Sources indicated that the government’s stance was that the Election Commission is an independent body conducting the revision, and therefore, the government could not answer on its behalf in Parliament. This argument was reportedly used to shut down debate on the voter list revision.

The issue has also become a major flashpoint in the Bihar Assembly, where RJD and other opposition MLAs demanded a full-fledged debate on the SIR process. Yadav strongly criticized the Election Commission for allegedly not addressing the Opposition’s concerns. He claimed that genuine voters were being deleted from the rolls, while the EC was “busy showcasing inflated revision figures before the Supreme Court.”

“Earlier voters chose the government, now the government is choosing voters,” Yadav asserted, labeling the entire exercise a “fraudulent drive.”

Earlier today, the Election Commission announced that 56 lakh names have been dropped from the draft voters’ list, which is scheduled to be published on August 1. This figure is an increase from yesterday’s reported 42 lakh deletions. Of these, the EC stated that 20 lakh individuals were deceased, 28 lakh had permanently migrated, 7 lakh were enrolled at multiple places, and 1 lakh remained untraceable.

The Election Commission, however, has maintained that the SIR is its constitutional duty and that the process is being conducted in a consistent and jurisdictional manner. In court, where the matter is pending, the poll body has argued for the integrity of the exercise. The EC has also claimed that voters are satisfied with the revision and assured that there will be a designated period for tweaking the lists and including any eligible individuals who may have been inadvertently left out.