Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, August 24, intensified his criticism of the Election Commission in poll-bound Bihar, accusing it of acting as an “agent” of the BJP and assisting the Centre in manipulating the voting process. Speaking at a rally in Araria during the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, where he was joined by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Rahul claimed that after selling off public sector units, the Modi government was now attempting to “steal the votes of the poor” through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) with the help of the poll body.
He asserted that the INDIA bloc would not allow such practices in Bihar, stressing that the Constitution guarantees equal rights to all citizens. Calling the SIR “anti-constitutional”, Rahul said that the people of Bihar would deliver a strong response to the BJP and its allies in the upcoming assembly elections. “The SIR is an institutionalised attempt by the EC to steal votes in the state to help the saffron party,” he alleged.
Rahul also questioned the Election Commission’s conduct, asking why no affidavit was sought from Union Minister Anurag Thakur when he made similar allegations of electoral irregularities in Wayanad, Kerala. His remarks add to the Opposition’s mounting criticism of the Election Commission ahead of the Bihar polls.
