Gaya, Bihar: As Bihar gears up for Assembly elections, political tensions have escalated over the Election Commission’s ongoing Voter List Revision (SIR) drive. The opposition, led by the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), has called for a Bihar Bandh on July 9, announcing a state-wide road blockade to protest what they allege is a politically motivated and unconstitutional revision process.
Addressing a press conference at Vishnu Bihar Hotel in Gaya, senior Congress leader Mohan Srivastava declared that the bandh will witness strong participation from INDIA bloc leaders, including Jehanabad MP Surendra Prasad Yadav (RJD), Bodh Gaya MLA Kumar Sarvjeet (RJD), and Gurua MLA Awadhesh Kumar Singh (Congress).
Srivastava asserted that the entire opposition alliance would actively enforce the road blockade, accusing the Election Commission of being complicit in a “conspiracy” to manipulate voter rolls ahead of elections. He further alleged that the rules introduced under the guise of SIR are intended to impact the 2025 Bihar elections, disproportionately affecting migrant workers and poor voters.
RJD MP Surendra Prasad Yadav questioned the need for a fresh revision, pointing out that the voter list was already published in January. He demanded the cancellation of upcoming polls if such a large-scale revision is deemed necessary.
Senior Congress leader Awadhesh Kumar Singh criticized the new documentation norms, which he said could allow Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to arbitrarily delete names under political pressure. “If final discretion lies with EROs, then the process is neither fair nor transparent,” he warned.
The opposition has also taken the battle to the Supreme Court, where RJD MP Manoj Jha and TMC MP Mahua Moitra have filed a petition seeking a stay on the voter list revision. The apex court is scheduled to hear the matter on July 10.
Criticizing the exclusion of documents like Aadhaar, ration cards, and MNREGA cards, Srivastava said, “There isn’t enough time for this process, and the new rules place an unfair burden on ordinary citizens to repeatedly prove their citizenship.”
The INDIA bloc has vowed to continue its agitation until the Election Commission withdraws or modifies the voter list revision process, alleging it is a direct assault on democracy and voter rights in Bihar.
