In the lead-up to the Bihar assembly elections, the Election Commission’s decision to undertake a comprehensive revision of the voter list has ignited a political firestorm. Congress and RJD leaders, including Tejashwi Yadav, have vehemently opposed the EC’s move, advocating for a Bihar bandh and even considering an election boycott. They accuse the BJP and the Election Commission of manipulating the electoral process and engaging in vote rigging. This controversy, which began in Bihar, has quickly escalated to a national issue.
The INDIA bloc, comprising various opposition parties, has strategically positioned the SIR as a central point of contention against the BJP and the Election Commission before the Bihar elections. This has fostered a renewed sense of solidarity among the alliance members, who had shown signs of fragmentation following the Lok Sabha elections.
The demonstration of unity is not confined to Bihar, West Bengal, and Maharashtra; it is also visible in the proceedings of the monsoon session of Parliament and at the national level. A dinner hosted by Rahul Gandhi, a senior Congress leader, brought together approximately 50 leaders from 25 parties within the INDIA bloc. The participants collectively reaffirmed their commitment to opposing the SIR.
In response to the situation, Rahul Gandhi will lead INDIA bloc MPs in a march from Parliament to the Election Commission. This march is scheduled for Monday. The objective is to protest the alleged “vote theft” associated with the SIR. The alliance leaders plan to formally present their concerns to the election commissioners. The march will involve prominent opposition figures, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Akhilesh Yadav, and Abhishek Banerjee, along with about 300 MPs.
The opposition’s protest has been sparked by Rahul Gandhi’s accusations of collusion between the Election Commission and the BJP. He cited the Congress’s analysis of the Mahadevpura assembly seat in Karnataka, where he claimed around a lakh votes had been “stolen.”
Rahul Gandhi has consistently raised the issue of “vote theft” during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He has emphasized the importance of a “clean” voter list for ensuring free and fair elections. Before this, he made similar accusations during the Maharashtra assembly elections, which were supported by NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray.
In a similar vein, the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has launched a campaign against the SIR. Mamata Banerjee has characterized the SIR as a covert tactic to implement the NRC and has urged the state’s residents not to fill out any forms. She has also requested the Election Commission to grant a two-year extension for conducting the SIR. The Trinamool Congress is prepared to confront the Election Commission on this matter.
The SIR has provided a common ground for the INDIA bloc, which had experienced some fragmentation after the Lok Sabha elections. The alliance members are now unifying to address this issue and present a united front. The upcoming Bihar elections have further intensified the movement against the SIR. The INDIA bloc has announced a voter awareness campaign to address concerns of election fraud and the SIR. This campaign will commence in Sasaram and will extend to various areas of Bihar for a period of 15 days.
The voter awareness campaign will feature Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav, and other leading opposition figures from the INDIA bloc and other states. The entire opposition aims to challenge the BJP and Nitish Kumar in the Bihar elections. The ultimate impact of the opposition’s narrative will be revealed after the elections.
According to senior journalist and political analyst Om Prakash Ashk, the opposition has made the SIR a central issue before the Bihar elections and is preparing for a movement. With the Bihar assembly elections on the horizon, the INDIA bloc is focusing its efforts on the state. All parties within the INDIA bloc have united in their efforts to transform this issue into a nationwide movement.
Ashk mentioned that the validity of the opposition’s allegations of election rigging and the SIR will be determined following investigations. However, he acknowledged that it is a pattern for the opposition to establish narratives during elections, which have yielded varied outcomes. For instance, the opposition raised concerns about potential threats to reservations, the constitution, and democracy during the Lok Sabha elections. However, the election results favored the NDA government. Some analysts suggest that the BJP’s inability to secure an absolute majority this time was partly due to the prominence of these issues. The Congress saw an increase in its parliamentary representation, yet the INDIA bloc was unsuccessful in forming the government.
Drawing a parallel to the concerns about threats to reservations, the constitution, and democracy, the INDIA bloc is now utilizing the SIR and alleged election rigging to question the Election Commission. The opposition’s strategy involves creating a narrative against the BJP, alleging that the current government has undermined all constitutional institutions. This shared narrative provides common ground for opposition parties.
This unity is also evident in the Vice-Presidential election. While the NDA candidate is expected to win, the INDIA bloc has decided to nominate a joint candidate to challenge the NDA nominee. Political analysts have noted that accusations of election rigging began during the Haryana and Maharashtra assembly elections. The issue has gained greater prominence before the Bihar assembly elections and has become a national concern. In the coming year, assembly elections are scheduled in five states, including Bengal, Assam, and Tamil Nadu, where the opposition is anticipated to leverage these issues to challenge the BJP.