Patna, Aug 4 The release of the first draft list under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the Election Commission of India (ECI) has triggered a major political controversy in Bihar.
The Congress launched a scathing attack on the ECI in a joint press conference on Monday, raising serious concerns over the alleged deletion of nearly 65 lakh voter names from the electoral roll.
Bihar Congress President Rajesh Ram, former State party president Madan Mohan Jha, and senior party leader Praveen Jha addressed the media, questioning the transparency and legality of the SIR process.
Rajesh Ram alleged, "The removal of such a large number of names of people without consultation or public disclosure casts doubt on the impartiality of the Election Commission. Why was no proper explanation or authentic data shared, especially when lives and democratic rights are involved?"
The Congress leaders claimed that the EC has neither made the deleted voter list public nor uploaded relevant details on its official website.
They said this lack of transparency is eroding trust in the democratic process.
Citing a specific case from Nalanda, Praveen Jha said: "In a single booth, several voters were declared dead and removed from the electoral rolls, even though many are still alive. This clearly points to gross negligence or targeted action."
He called it a "systematic attempt to manipulate the voter base," especially in areas perceived to support opposition parties.
When asked about Leader of Opposition and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav's alleged double EPIC controversy, Congress leaders refrained from commenting in detail, saying that the RJD leader himself would respond.
However, they emphasised that the core issue is the flawed and politically motivated SIR process, which they say disproportionately affects Opposition voters.
Rajesh Ram questioned the pre-emptive claim of 20 per cent deletion even before the SIR process began.
"How did the Election Commission already know the figure? Was this figure predetermined?" he asked.
Congress demanded that the EC hold discussions with political parties and civil society groups before taking such sweeping steps in a sensitive election year.
Madan Mohan Jha said, "If the government is confident about its voter list clean-up, why is it avoiding scrutiny from the Opposition? Even the Prime Minister's scepticism towards the Supreme Court judges is concerning."
He criticised the EC for ignoring the Supreme Court's recommendation to integrate Aadhaar verification, terming it a violation of judicial advice and public trust.
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