A political storm has brewed in Bihar ahead of the 2025 Assembly elections, sparked by the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission, levelling serious allegations. Yadav stated, “The Election Commission has become an arm of a political party. Will two people from Gujarat decide which Bihari voter can vote and which cannot?”
Bihar Bandh and Protests
In protest against the voter list revision, the opposition Mahagathbandhan called for a ‘Bihar Bandh’ on July 9th, leading to demonstrations across the state. In Patna, Congress workers took to the streets, blocking roads and chanting slogans. One activist stated, “We will continue our protests until the government accepts our demands. The ruling party is misleading the public.” Yadav alleged that this process is removing the names of voters from the poorer and marginalised sections of society, potentially depriving them of benefits like pensions and rations.
#WATCH | Patna | RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and Congress MP and LoP Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to join Mahagathbandhan protest against electoral rolls revision in poll-bound Bihar pic.twitter.com/50dXxcG2dN
Yadav termed the voter list revision a ‘vote ban’, claiming that documents like Aadhaar cards and MNREGA cards are not being accepted, potentially disenfranchising millions of Biharis, especially migrant workers. He questioned, “Will the millions of Bihar workers in Gujarat, Delhi, and Punjab be able to return and have their names added within 18 days?” Yadav also revealed that his wife, recently added to the Bihar voter list, faces the risk of removal due to a lack of birth-place documentation.
Yadav’s Snipe
“The Election Commission has become an arm of a political party… Will two people from Gujarat decide which Bihari voter can vote and which cannot?” he said. “The Election Commission has lost its credibility. There is a large-scale effort underway to remove the names of poor people from the voter list. First, their names are removed, then their pensions and rations are taken away.”
#WATCH | Patna, Bihar | On ‘Bihar Bandh’, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav says, “… The Election Commission has become a wing of a political party… Will two people from Gujarat decide which Bihari voter can vote and which can not?”
RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav also targeted the government and the Election Commission. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Two Gujaratis are trying to deprive 8 crore Biharis of their right to vote. These two Gujaratis have a deep hatred for Bihar, the Constitution, and democracy. Wake up and raise your voice!”
दो गुजराती मिलकर 8 करोड़ बिहारियों के वोट का अधिकार छिनने का प्रयास कर रहे है। इन दो गुजरातियों को बिहार, संविधान और लोकतंत्र से सख़्त नफ़रत है।
The RJD and other opposition parties have filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the voter list revision and seeking a stay on the process. The petition argues that the poor and Dalit communities will be disproportionately affected by the lack of required documentation.
Rahul Gandhi Joins Protests
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, CPI General Secretary D Raja, CPI(ML) Liberation leader Dipankar Bhattacharya, and Bihar Congress President Rajesh Ram participated in the Mahagathbandhan’s ‘Bihar Bandh’ protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.
#WATCH | Patna | RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, CPI General Secretary D Raja, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation leader Dipankar Bhattacharya and Bihar Congress President Rajesh Ram join the ‘Bihar Bandh’ protests called… pic.twitter.com/E2l1O3odEO
The opposition alleges that the Election Commission’s voter list revision lacks transparency and aims to remove the names of poor, Dalit, and opposition-supporting voters. Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav have termed it a ‘vote ban’ and demanded an immediate halt to the process. Yadav stated, “We are on the streets against the way voting rights are being snatched from people in Bihar.”
News / National News / Tejashwi Yadav’s Attack Before Bihar Polls: ‘Two Gujaratis to Decide Who Can Vote in Bihar’
