PATNA: Opposition INDIA bloc will hold a meeting at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in New Delhi on July 19 to chalk out further course of action against ongoing Election Commission (EC)’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.
Sharing the information with the media, INDIA bloc co-ordination committee chairman Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said the issue required a stronger protest, as it concerned people's citizenship.
“Deletion of names from electoral rolls will deprive people of all government’s welfare schemes,” he asserted.
Leaders of opposition parties are expected to deliberate key issues to be raised during Monsoon session of parliament at the Congress president’s residence in the national capital on July 19.
The issue of ongoing voters’ revision exercise in poll-bound Bihar is also to be taken up for deliberation at the meeting.
Tejashwi said, “A delegation of Opposition leaders met the Election Commission of India in New Delhi and raised its concern over the SIR of electoral rolls in election bound state. The members of delegation also apprised the ECI of shortcomings in the voter list revision work. But there has been no response from the ECI yet.”
Alleging that Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar Gupta and his team was working at the instance of PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Tejashwi questioned why Gupta has not convened a press conference to reply to queries of the Opposition on SIR in Bihar.
He also expressed his displeasure over the manner ECI was carrying out voter revision work in Bihar ahead of assembly election.
“No guidelines have come from ECI after the Supreme Court’s observation on the SIR,” he asserted.
The RJD leader said that once the voters’ list will be published after revision, inclusion of names would not be possible. Moreover, the same list will be applicable for panchayat elections scheduled to be held next year.
“We appeal Panchayat representatives to remain alert on the matter,” he told the media.
He expressed concern that names of voters from the Diara area might be deleted in large numbers, as BLOs have not yet reached the remote villages. He alleged that Yadav-dominated villages were being targeted by the ECI, and people from this community would be the worst affected.
To support his claim that the ECI was acting at the behest of the BJP, Tejashwi said the commission mentioned in a press statement that 35 lakh voters’ names would be deleted from the electoral rolls, three days after the same information was reported in newspapers.
“I fail to understand why the figures were the same even as revision exercise was underway,” he added.
Congress state president Rajesh Kumar, VIP chief Mukesh Sahani and leaders from three Left parties were also present at the press conference.
