The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) on Monday expressed serious concerns about the Election Commission of Indiaโs (ECI) handling of the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, accusing the ECI of proceeding with the polls without addressing complaints regarding โomissionsโ in the electoral rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.ย
The Left party claimed that millions of legitimate voters were removed from the stateโs voter list, raising questions about the fairness of the electoral process.
CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby, in an interview, criticised the ECI, stating, โThe EC is holding the Bihar Assembly election without properly finding remedial measures for the complaints of omission and commission committed by it with regard to rightful voters.โ He further alleged, โMillions of voters, genuine voters, are removed from the electoral lot on different pretexts,โ highlighting the scale of the issue and its potential impact on the democratic process.
Baby pointed out that the Supreme Court has issued clear directives ensuring that bona-fide voters removed from the electoral rolls should be given adequate opportunity and time to apply for re-inclusion. He expressed dissatisfaction with the ECIโs response, saying, โThe EC is behaving in a manner which is quite unsatisfactory and objectionable.โย
He went further, alleging bias by the ECI, stating that Biharโs election marks โthe first election in the history of our country where the umpire, that is the Election Commission, is found being part of one side, one team in the contest, that is the ruling party.โ He added, โThe EC has not succeeded in exonerating itself from the complaints that it is behaving in a partial manner, helping the ruling party at the Centre.โ
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The CPI(M) leader also commented on the political dynamics in Bihar, describing the opposition Mahagathbandhan alliance as a โpowerful forceโ and noting that seat-sharing discussions among its constituents are ongoing. He accused the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, of attempting to influence voters through financial schemes, stating, โThe ruling NDA in Bihar is trying to bribe the voters by declaring various schemes of providing financial assistance to different sections of the society.โย
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However, Baby expressed confidence in the electorate, saying, โBut people are politically literate. Therefore, they can see through the manner in which the Nitish Kumar government is behaving, which is undemocratic.โ
The ECI announced on Monday that the Bihar Assembly elections will be held in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with the counting of votes scheduled for November 14, as stated by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.ย
The CPI(M)โs criticisms highlight concerns about the integrity of the electoral process as Bihar prepares for a high-stakes contest between the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan, underscoring the need for transparency and fairness in addressing voter roll discrepancies.
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