New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged voter fraud in Bihar and accused the Election Commission (EC) of favouring the BJP. He shared a video posted by a journalist, claiming it showed government officials filling out and signing voter forms without the voters’ knowledge.
Gandhi questioned the neutrality of the Election Commission, suggesting it had effectively become the BJP’s “Election Theft” wing.
Posting on X, Gandhi wrote: “In Bihar, the Election Commission was caught red-handed stealing votes under the pretext of ‘SIR’. Their only job now seems to be theft — named ‘SIR’. And those who expose this are threatened with FIRs. Is the EC still the ‘Election Commission’ or has it turned entirely into the BJP’s ‘Election Theft’ branch?”
The controversy comes shortly after the Supreme Court, on July 10, allowed the EC to proceed with its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The court also advised the Commission to consider accepting Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and voter ID cards as valid proof of identity for voter registration.
A bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi noted: “We are of the prima facie opinion that, in the interest of justice, the Election Commission should consider including documents like Aadhaar, ration cards, and voter ID cards. If it chooses not to accept them, the Commission must provide a reasoned explanation satisfactory to the petitioners. The petitioners are not pressing for an interim stay at this stage.”
According to the Election Commission, as of Saturday evening, 80.11% of voters in Bihar had submitted their Enumeration Forms (EFs), and the commission remains on track to complete the process by the July 25 deadline.
Assembly elections in Bihar are expected to be held in October or November, although the EC has not officially announced the dates.
The ruling NDA—comprising the BJP, JD(U), and LJP—will seek to retain power, while the opposition INDIA bloc—consisting of the RJD, Congress, and Left parties—aims to oust Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, the NDA currently holds 131 seats: BJP (80), JD(U) (45), HAM(S) (4), and two independents. The INDIA bloc has 111 seats, led by the RJD with 77, followed by the Congress (19), CPI(ML) (11), CPI(M) (2), and CPI (2).
