Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 3: The Congress launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday, denouncing its directive to complete a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s voter list within just one month. With assembly elections on the horizon, senior Congress leaders alleged that the move was a calculated attempt to disenfranchise the poor, Dalits, backward classes, and migrant workers.

Addressing the media from the party’s new headquarters in Delhi, Congress Media and Publicity Chairman Pawan Khera, Bihar Congress President Rajesh Ram, and state in-charge Krishna Allavaru questioned the rationale and feasibility of verifying over 8 crore voters in only 30 days.

Khera took sharp aim at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, claiming the CEC was “deciding who he will or won’t meet” and accusing him of functioning with political bias. “At this rate, the ECI might as well shift its office to the BJP headquarters,” Khera quipped.

The criticism came a day after INDIA bloc leaders met ECI officials but were allegedly restricted from fully participating in the meeting. Khera further accused Gyanesh Kumar of leaking internal communications to the media, saying the Election Commission's conduct was undermining citizens' fundamental right to vote.

Rajesh Ram highlighted Bihar’s logistical challenges, including widespread migration, floods in the north, drought in the south, and the lack of basic documentation among marginalized communities. “How can you verify voters in flood-hit zones? Will BLOs travel on boats?” he asked, noting that only 2.18% of the SC, ST, and OBC population in Bihar have birth certificates.

He also raised concerns about resource constraints, citing overworked Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and numerous vacancies in the electoral machinery. “There is neither the staff nor the infrastructure to carry out such a massive exercise in 30 days,” he said.

Calling the directive a “Tughlaki farman,” Krishna Allavaru compared it to the disruption caused by demonetisation and asked what had changed since the general elections just a year ago, when the same voter base had cast their ballots.

The Congress leaders also demanded clarity on why Aadhaar, ration cards, and job cards are being rejected for voter verification. They warned that the move could disenfranchise nearly 20% of Bihar’s population and vowed to resist any attempt to suppress voter participation.

As Bihar gears up for a pivotal election, the opposition’s attack signals a growing political storm over voter rights and electoral transparency.