Patna (Bihar), July 13: With the Bihar Assembly elections expected later this year, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has voiced strong concerns over voter verification and the possible deletion of names from the electoral rolls.
Speaking at a press conference in Patna on Sunday, Tejashwi warned that if even one per cent of voters are excluded during the ongoing verification process, nearly 7.9 lakh people across the state could lose their right to vote. “That’s around 3,251 voters removed per assembly constituency,” he claimed.
He emphasized that the RJD lost 52 seats in the last assembly elections by narrow margins, often fewer than 5,000 votes. “If 3,200 votes are cut per constituency, the electoral outcome could be drastically altered,” he added.
Tejashwi alleged that many voters who have migrated for work outside Bihar are at risk of being excluded from the rolls without due process. Questioning the motive behind the deletions, he asked, “Is this just eyewash? Are these voter deletions happening under the direction of Amit Shah or Modi ji?”
He also expressed doubts about the transparency of the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise currently underway in Bihar. “Is this being done without public awareness or communication?” he asked, demanding greater transparency ahead of the polls.
Opposition leaders have slammed the voter list revision, labelling it a “backdoor NRC” and accusing the ECI of enabling “vote theft.” The INDIA bloc, including the RJD and Congress, staged a massive “Bihar Bandh” in Patna recently to protest the exercise. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi warned that electoral manipulation tactics seen in Maharashtra could be repeated in Bihar.
Meanwhile, the ruling BJP and its ally Janata Dal (United) have dismissed the allegations. They accused the opposition of politicizing the process and defending ineligible voters.
Tejashwi went further, branding the ECI as a “Godi Aayog,” and accused the NDA of deliberately targeting the names of poor voters in Bihar.
The Bihar Assembly elections are anticipated in October or November 2025.