NEW DELHI: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the Bihar electoral rolls, aimed at removing fake voters, appears to be placing the BJP, which holds more sway than its NDA allies in the state, on the back foot. The party’s internal pre-poll survey teams are reportedly encountering public resentment due to concerns that their names may be removed from the rolls under SIR.
“SIR has started putting us on the wrong wicket. Whenever we call the voters over their phones to know what they expect from the BJP and how they would help the BJP realise their dreams, the majority of the people express their resentment against the SIR and the BJP,” said a member of the party’s telephone-based survey team.
The SIR has triggered widespread protests, including a large-scale Opposition-called bandh in Bihar on Wednesday, just ahead of the assembly elections.
Ramesh Kumar of Hajipur claimed, “When I got a call from the BJP tele-survey team about how I would be helping BJP in the upcoming Assembly election, my anger got the better of me because many of my family members received slips asking them to submit documents in order to remain in the electoral rolls. Our names have been on the voters’ list for over a couple of decades, and now the ECI, which is doing SIR at the behest of the BJP, is asking me for proof of my citizenship.”
Another survey team member revealed, “Due to the ongoing SIR exercise, 6-7 out of 10 people contacted for their views and expectations from the BJP bluntly vented their anger against the party. It is not a good sign for the party before the election.”
Many affected citizens, even long-time BJP supporters, claim the SIR has forced them to reconsider their support. “Aap kuch bhi chhap do, BJP wale apki baton ko nahi manenge aur SIR chalte rahega. Result will be very drastic this time—earth-shattering for BJP,” said Nirmal Kumar, a BJP worker from Patna. He added, “I also gave a dressing down to the caller the moment he asked me how I would be helping the BJP in this election.”
Preferring anonymity, several BJP workers and leaders from both the party and its allies—JDU and LJP (RV)—expressed frustration over the exercise. They said many rural voters, who don’t possess birth or residential certificates, have been asked to submit them to stay on the rolls. “Believe me or not, but 15-20% voters of the BJP and 10-15% voters of the JDU would not be able to vote this time as they would not be able to furnish the required documents. They have Aadhaar and EPICs, but those are not accepted,” said a senior BJP leader.
Rajesh Kumar from Gaya said 50-60 BJP-supporting families in his village have been asked to provide eligibility documents. “Now they would not be able to vote if their names get dropped from the revised electoral rolls.” Some BJP members said, “The BJP leaders also understand it and are worried about the emerging situation, but they are not venting their protest only because they are disciplined party workers.”
Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar asserted that the SIR of Bihar electoral rolls is an ‘inclusive’ exercise and that it is “inevitable for strengthening democracy”, while responding to the opposition. “Pure electoral rolls are inevitable for strengthening democracy,” Kumar said.
No more ‘Ye IT-byte kya hota hai’ for Lalu
RJD chief Lalu Prasad had once famously quipped in his characteristic rustic tone, “Ye IT-byte kya hota hai?” Over a decade on, the party—now led by his cricketer-turned-politician son Tejashwi Yadav—has undergone a dramatic transformation. The RJD has evolved into a tech-savvy political force, employing meticulously crafted, IT-enabled and AI-driven communication strategies to counter the ruling NDA and its key ally, the BJP, both politically and during pre-poll campaigns. “Catchy slogans that mock the ruling NDA, AI-driven memes, videos and similar digital tools are now being used by the RJD to offer an ‘Intelligent and Tough (IT)’ response to NDA allegations,” noted an RJD leader who works behind the scenes with a team of tech-savvy youngsters in the party’s social media unit. Recently, a digitally animated, AI-generated meme video featuring PM Narendra Modi and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar caused a stir in NDA circles. The video, shared widely across RJD’s social media platforms, was set to the satirical soundtrack “Jumlo ki barish…” and gained significant traction. Its IT cell has even dubbed the SIR of rolls “Votebandi”—a pun.
