The Leader of Opposition in Bihar Tejashwi Yadav has hinted at a potential boycott of the upcoming Assembly elections. This comes amid a growing political crisis over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls.
When asked about this possibility, Tejashwi stated, “This can also be discussed. We will see what the public wants and what everyone’s opinion is.”
In response to allegations from NDA leaders that his concerns stem from fear of losing the election, Tejashwi firmly denied such claims. He stressed that his focus is on ensuring democratic fairness rather than worrying about defeat. The issue, he argued, revolves around transparency and fairness in the electoral process.
Concerns Over Voter Deletion
Tejashwi expressed alarm over what he described as a massive and opaque deletion of voter names. He alleged that many of those removed belong to his support base. He warned that this could be a deliberate attempt to target opposition voters under the guise of cleaning up the rolls.
The RJD leader further accused the government of intentionally reducing the voter base among weaker and backward communities. He emphasized that this is not just a routine revision but an attempt to manipulate electoral outcomes by tampering with democracy’s foundation-the voter list.
Allegations Against Election Commission
Tejashwi questioned the integrity of the electoral process under current conditions, claiming it has been manipulated deliberately. “When elections are not being conducted honestly, then why are we conducting elections? The elections have been compromised,” he said. He accused both the BJP and Election Commission of working together to purge opposition voters while pretending to cleanse electoral rolls.
Citing official data from the Election Commission, Tejashwi raised concerns over 52.66 lakh names allegedly removed from Bihar’s electoral rolls. He challenged claims that 18.66 lakh voters died between January and June 2025, questioning why these names weren’t removed earlier.
Questions Over Voter Movement
Tejashwi also cast doubt on claims that 26.01 lakh voters shifted permanently within four months without physical verification. He found this highly improbable and questioned whether due diligence was followed in verifying such movements.