Bihar Politics: Supreme Court’s Decision on SIR and Political Reactions

Bihar is heading towards assembly elections this year, with political parties increasing their activities. The Special Investigation Report (SIR) is a significant issue, sparking debate between the ruling and opposition parties and the Election Commission. The Supreme Court recently issued an interim order, which RJD and Congress are seeing as a victory for justice. Tejashwi Yadav expressed his satisfaction, stating that the Supreme Court had accepted their demands concerning the SIR. He added that the Election Commission was attempting to conceal facts. The Congress screening committee held meetings, with candidates from 19 districts presenting their applications. The committee was chaired by Ajay Maken, the national treasurer of the party. JDU is set to begin a statewide campaign, ‘Sushasan Ka Saar-Aapke Dwar,’ on August 17th, lasting until August 23rd. The campaign aims to connect with voters at the booth level, distributing booklets and stickers to highlight Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s achievements over the past 20 years. Rituraj Sinha, a BJP leader, criticized Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav for their statements on the SIR issue, accusing them of spreading misinformation and defending fraudulent voters. Sheela Mandal, Bihar’s Transport Minister, highlighted the changes brought by Nitish Kumar in the last 20 years. Mukesh Sahni, a former minister, predicted a Grand Alliance government in Bihar within three months. Nityanand Rai, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, declared that the Congress had rejected Tejashwi Yadav. The Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee welcomed the Supreme Court’s interim order as a step toward restoring the rights of voters wrongly removed from the 2025 voter list. The court’s directive includes publicly releasing district and booth-specific lists of removed voters, the reasons for their removal, and dissemination through various media.