Today, the leaders of the Grand Alliance held an important press conference in Patna, in which mainly RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav expressed concern over the preparations for the Bihar assembly elections and the SIR (Special Identification Registration) process being run by the Election Commission. He said that there are many discrepancies in the recent report of the Election Commission, which question the transparency of this process.
Tejashwi Yadav said, “We agree with SIR, but the methods of this process can be dangerous for democracy. Bihar has always been the center of democracy and we cannot see it to end. It is not just Bihar but a matter of the whole country. We will oppose it.” He also questioned the press note issued by the Election Commission on 16 July. The press note talked about removing 35 lakh names. Tejashwi said, “This information is the same, which came in the media earlier. This means that the Election Commission does not have the right figures and the process is not going well.”
Tejashwi also asked how the information about the removal of 35 lakh names was revealed when the process is going on. He demanded transparency from the Election Commission and said that BLO (Boot Level Officer) has not yet reached in many places, causing problems in the process.
Grand Alliance struggle at national level
Tejashwi Yadav made it clear that his struggle will continue not only at the state level, but also at the national level. He said, “I am writing letters to all the big leaders on this issue and we will raise this issue in the India alliance meeting to be held in Delhi on 19 July. This is a question of protecting democracy and transparency of the electoral process.” The Grand Alliance appealed to the Election Commission to quickly improve the SIR process so that no voter is deprived of it. Tejashwi also said that if the Election Commission maintains transparency, there will be no dispute in Bihar elections.
Support of Congress and other colleagues
Congress leaders were also present in this press conference, who supported Tejashwi Yadav. The Congress said, “We agree with Tejashwi Yadav’s words and will raise this issue before the Election Commission. It is a question of the people and democracy of Bihar.”
Forward position
Now it has to be seen what steps the Election Commission takes on this issue and whether there is any improvement after the allegations of the Grand Alliance. This issue can be important in Bihar’s upcoming elections, in which questions like voter list and electoral transparency are arising.
