As voting for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly Elections began today, with polling across 12 districts and 121 seats, a significant political controversy erupted. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of orchestrating ‘engineered’ power cuts in key constituencies. According to the RJD, these deliberate electricity disruptions are targeting polling booths within the Mahagathbandhan’s strongholds, with the aim of reducing voter participation. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav highlighted that supporters are gathering in large numbers and the intermittent power cuts are designed to impede the voting process. The party conveyed this accusation through an official post on X, calling for urgent ECI intervention. The Election Commission, however, has strongly denied these allegations. The Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar termed the RJD’s claims as ‘baseless’ and ‘misleading,’ asserting that the polling process is being conducted smoothly and transparently, adhering to all necessary protocols. This election marks a new era of oversight, with the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners actively monitoring polling stations via CCTV from a central command center. A total of 1,314 candidates are contesting in this initial phase of the Bihar elections.
