To save democracy: Oppn leaders on 'Bihar Bandh' over voter list revision ahead of Assembly polls

New Delhi, July 9 (IANS) The Opposition-led Mahagathbandhan on Wednesday called for a statewide 'Bihar Bandh' on what it termed a move "to save democracy." The Opposition has been protesting against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls by the Election Commission of India (ECI) just ahead of the Assembly polls in Bihar.

The bandh witnessed widespread participation from alliance leaders, party workers, and supporters across Bihar, with sit-in protests, rallies, and disruption of rail services reported in multiple districts.

The protest, spearheaded by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and other alliance partners, is aimed at halting the ongoing voter list verification process, which Opposition leaders fear is designed to disenfranchise voters from marginalised communities.

The Opposition has been raising its concern over the process in which 78 million voters would have to establish they are genuine citizens in a matter of weeks. According to the Congress, in a state like Bihar where poverty and low educational levels result in poor awareness on documentation, nearly 30 million voters would have to provide 11 documents, rather than the commonly available ration cards, Aadhaar cards or voter IDs to prove their citizenship.

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, arrived in Patna to join the agitation. Along with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and other senior leaders, LoP Gandhi participated in a rally and will hold a symbolic gherao of the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in state capital Patna.

Calling the protest a “historic moment,” senior RJD leader Ram Chandra Purve said, "To save democracy, all of us in Bihar, along with leaders of the Mahagathbandhan, are united... This 'Bihar Bandh' is historic. The Election Commission must withdraw the voter list modification program."

RJD’s Mithilesh Das alleged political motives behind the ECI’s move, stating, "The BJP fears losing power in the 2025 Bihar elections, so in collusion with the Election Commission of India, a conspiracy has been hatched to deprive voters from the lower sections of society of their right to vote."

Subhash Yadav, another RJD leader, questioned the timing of the revision exercise: "The public knows who is saying what, but we are campaigning against voter list verification. A similar process happened before, in 2003, and it took three years. Why is it being done only at election time?"

Congress workers intensified the agitation by stopping the Balurghat–Bhatinda Farakka Express at Ara Railway Station.

Congress leader Upendra Kumar Singh, speaking after LoP Gandhi’s participation, said, "The biggest thing is that every party is running its own event. RJD people had earlier staged a protest here. The Congress has always been active, and we are proud to be strong supporters of Rahul Gandhi."

The Mahagathbandhan has accused the BJP and ECI of using administrative tools to manipulate the electoral process. While the Election Commission maintains the revision exercise is routine and lawful, the Opposition continues to demand its immediate halt.

--IANS

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