Congress Challenges Timing of Bihar's Electoral Roll Revision

In a sharp critique, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal on Thursday questioned the timing of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. He argued that the Election Commission of India (ECI), instead of maintaining neutrality ahead of the state assembly elections, appears biased towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Highlighting the severity of the issue, Venugopal remarked, 'What Rahul (Gandhi) ji is saying about the Election Commission is the reality of this country. The Election Commission should be a neutral player in conducting elections.' He emphasized the need for a discussion on these concerns, noting even the BJP's ally, the TDP, has expressed apprehensions regarding the timing of the revision.

Adding his voice to the criticism, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav accused the Election Commission of working under BJP's influence, citing a lack of transparency. Meanwhile, the ECI reported receiving Enumeration Forms from over 6.99 crore electors in Bihar, accounting for 88.65% of registered voters, with a substantial portion already uploaded ahead of the draft electoral roll's release scheduled for August 2025.

(With inputs from agencies.)