The revision of voter lists in Bihar has sparked a political confrontation, with the opposition targeting the Election Commission and the BJP. The Election Commission has removed approximately 6.5 million names from the voter list. Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav has demanded that the Election Commission seek the resignations of the MPs from Bihar who were elected using the votes of these 6.5 million individuals, claiming these votes were flawed.
In addition to this, he weighed in on a parliamentary bill concerning the removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, and ministers for serious offenses. He characterized the bill, which suggests removing these officials after 30 days of detention, as the BJP’s final tactic. Yadav accused the BJP government of consistently introducing new laws to commit fraud, adding that even the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) allies would not support the bill.
Details of Voter List Removals
The voter list revision in Bihar has led to considerable debate. The draft voters list, released on August 9th, showed around 22.34 lakh names removed due to reported deaths, while 36.28 lakh names were removed due to permanent migration. Moreover, 7.01 lakh names were removed because individuals were not found at their registered addresses.
Multiple petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court to challenge this Special Intensive Revision (SIR), currently exclusive to Bihar, which is preparing for assembly elections in the coming months. One of the key arguments against the revision is the non-transparent method used in removing names.
MP Demands Resignations and New Elections
The MP from Azamgarh posed a question to the Election Commission, “If the voter list contains 6.5 million incorrect names, how can the MPs elected by these very votes be considered valid? Resignations should be demanded from these MPs, and new elections should be conducted. If the voter list was inaccurate, then the election of the MPs was also naturally flawed.”
Bill to Remove PMs and CMs
On August 18, the Election Commission disclosed the draft voter list from Bihar, revealing the removal of approximately 6.5 million names under the SIR process. Regarding the bill concerning the removal of PMs and CMs, Yadav said it is not a constitutional amendment, but unconstitutional. He called it the BJP’s final strategy, claiming they attempt to bring in new fraudulent laws daily. The Samajwadi Party and the broader opposition have opposed the bill.
He added, “Even their own alliance partners won’t support it. Anyone who doesn’t align with the central government will be targeted, even within the BJP.”
Concerning the statement from Pooja Pal, a former Samajwadi Party MLA, about threats to her life, Yadav dismissed it as a political stunt. Furthermore, he expressed confidence in the success of the India alliance candidate, B. Sudarshan Reddy, in the Vice-Presidential election.
