The Congress party has registered strong objections to the special intensive revision of voter lists in Bihar, arguing that it violates the rights of the state’s electorate. The party views the revision as a deliberate attempt to verify voters and demand proof of citizenship before the upcoming assembly elections. According to Pawan Khera, Chairman of the AICC Media and Publicity Department, this is a conspiracy against voters’ rights and identity. He questioned the timing of the revision, particularly considering the monsoon season and the challenges posed by flooding in certain areas.
Khera also raised questions regarding the necessity of the revision, especially since the same voter lists were used during the Lok Sabha elections. He accused the Election Commission of being influenced by the BJP. The opposition alliance in Bihar, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), also condemned the Election Commission’s plan for an intensive revision of the voter list, viewing it as a means to assist the BJP-led NDA in the upcoming elections.
Opposition leaders like Tejashwi Yadav, Pawan Khera, and Dipankar Bhattacharya voiced their opposition, stating that they would send a delegation to the Election Commission. They also said that further actions would be taken if their concerns were not addressed. Tejashwi Yadav expressed concern that the exercise might disenfranchise many voters, especially those from marginalized communities. Yadav implied the revision aims to remove names from the voter list and deprive people of social welfare schemes.
He criticized the Election Commission’s ambitious timeline for the revision. Pawan Khera echoed these criticisms, suggesting that Bihar could be a testing ground for similar actions across the country. Dipankar Bhattacharya, who previously wrote a letter to the Election Commission expressing his dissent, called the proposed revision illogical.