Bihar protests LIVE: Sule sees opportunity for ECI to reassure the nation

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav are leading a major protest in Bihar today against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the implementation of the new labour code. The road blockade demonstration—part of a broader “Bharat Bandh” called by ten central trade unions—has gained momentum across the state ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

Rahul Gandhi joined the protest march in Patna at 10 am, walking from the Income Tax roundabout at Golambar to the Election Commission’s office. Backed by the Mahagathbandhan alliance—which includes the RJD, Congress, Left parties, VIP, and independent leader Pappu Yadav—the protest has already seen disruptions at several locations.

In Hajipur, RJD workers blocked Gandhi Sethu, while in Sonpur, party MLA Mukesh Roshan led a major road blockade. Students from the RJD’s youth wing also staged a rail roko at Jehanabad station. Addressing the media on Monday, Tejashwi Yadav criticised the electoral roll revision exercise, alleging it was being hurriedly conducted to favour the ruling NDA and had led to widespread confusion among voters.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the plea of two social activists challenging the ECI’s decision to undertake the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.

A bench of justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi agreed to take up the plea on 10 July, along with other pending petitions, after advocate Vrinda Grover mentioned for urgent listing.

Grover said the plea file by Arshad Ajmal and Rupesh Kumar challenges the ECI’s 24 June decision to conduct the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls in the state.

The activists have contended that the exercise undermines the principles of free and fair elections and representative democracy — both integral features of the ‘basic structure’ of the Constitution — by introducing arbitrary, unreasonable and disproportionate documentation requirements related to birth, residence and citizenship.

They submitted that the process disproportionately burdens the poor, migrants, women and marginalised groups, for whom the vote remains a critical lever of political accountability.

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NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule says questions being raised over the special intensive revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls are an opportunity for the Election Commission to reassure the country that it is not influenced by any political party or government.

She told PTI in Pune that it is unfortunate that India, which is one of the largest and most vibrant democracies in the world, was facing questions about the election process.

Sule said, "I think it is very unfortunate that in a country like ours, which is a vibrant and one of the largest democracies in the world, we are facing so many questions about the election process. This is a great opportunity for the Election Commission to step forward, show full transparency, and reassure the country that it is not influenced by any political party or government."

“The Election Commission must protect the Constitution... [instead] it is working on instructions from the BJP,” alleges Rahul Gandhi during the protest march in Patna.

#BiharElections2025

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Why is the Government of India refusing to fill 30 lakh vacancies, despite the rising unemployment and the urgent need for public service personnel? — Just one of the many questions raised by Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala against the backdrop of the general strike.

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A rapid survey across 8 Bihar districts, of 709 potential voters in 163 households spread across 12 assembly segments and 17 polling booths, has been carried out between 5 and 7 July 2025 — and has found the claims made by the Election Commission of India about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls seem suspect.

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“Say no to ‘hire and fire’ policy” — neither for workers, nor for voters. Defend labour rights and universal franchise,” posts Dipankar Bhattacharya.

Several viral videos have shown and spoken of sanitary pads and packets thereof printed with Rahul Gandhi’s image, in an alleged attempt to denigrate the Congress leader and Lok Sabha LoP.

The Congress has filed an FIR. But what’s behind the spree of videos?

The official CPI(M) handle on X shared a video of striking midday meal workers — almost all women — out on the streets in procession with red flags and a banner, vociferous in their demands.

Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra is one of those who apprehends SIR may be extended to other states going to the polls soon, as well. Next is Bengal, the TMC believes, and it is “meticulously designed to disenfranchise non-BJP“ voters, she said in a recent interview.

Moitra also suggested the ECI is in collusion with the ruling party and its allies, saying in an X post that '@ECISVEEP should move from Ashoka Road to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg' in Delhi, where the BJP has its headquarters.

A few months ago, Lok Sabha elections were held in Maharashtra and Haryana, followed shortly by Vidhan Sabha elections in both states.

In Maharashtra, the INDIA alliance won the Lok Sabha polls but lost the Vidhan Sabha just months later. Initially, we didn’t raise questions. But when we analysed the data, a shocking pattern emerged — nearly 1 crore new voters had been added between the two elections. That’s a 10 per cent spike.

When we dug deeper, we found these additional votes largely benefited the BJP. In some buildings, 4,000 to 5,000 voters were registered — many of them suspicious entries — while votes of the poor were suppressed.

We approached the Election Commission, seeking the voter list and videography records. But the Commission remained silent. Till today, we haven’t received Maharashtra’s updated voter list. Worse, the rules around election videography have been altered — all to conceal the truth.

This wasn’t an accident. It was a calculated attempt to manipulate the mandate.

Speaking at the Bihar Bandh protest in Patna, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the BJP had “stolen” the Maharashtra elections and was now attempting a similar move in Bihar through the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls.

“They think we’ve understood the Maharashtra model, so now they’ve brought the Bihar version. But let me make this clear — no matter who you are, the law will take its own course. I guarantee that,” he said.

Addressing protestors in Patna, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of manipulating electoral processes, saying, “Maharashtra elections were rigged, and now they want to repeat the same in Bihar — we will not allow it.”

He alleged that poll commissioners nominated by the BJP were trying to “steal the votes of Bihar’s youth” through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls.

“The Election Commission must protect the Constitution, but it is working on the BJP’s instructions,” Gandhi added, according to a PTI news flash.

Rail and road movement was severely impacted across parts of Bihar on Wednesday as Mahagathbandhan workers enforced a statewide bandh to protest the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. In Patna, Opposition leaders and party workers blocked Mahatma Gandhi Setu by burning tyres, bringing traffic to a standstill.

Independent MP from Purnea, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, reached the Sachiwalay Halt railway station with his supporters and attempted to halt train services. He also led road and rail blockades in Patna, Araria, Purnea, Katihar, and Muzaffarpur.

Speaking to reporters, Yadav alleged that the SIR process was an attempt to disenfranchise migrants, Dalits, Mahadalits, and the poor ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. “It’s a conspiracy to block their votes,” he said.

Tyre-burning protests and road blockades were also reported in Arwal, Jehanabad, and Darbhanga by cadres of the RJD, Congress, CPI(ML) Liberation, and CPM.

Earlier, the Congress and nine other opposition parties had jointly approached the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.

The petition alleged that the process was politically driven and could disenfranchise legitimate voters ahead of the 2025 state elections. Congress leader K C Venugopal had termed the revision “blatantly unconstitutional” and accused the EC of acting under pressure from the ruling regime.

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Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP, was joined by RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, CPI General Secretary D Raja, CPI(ML) leader Dipankar Bhattacharya, and Bihar Congress President Rajesh Ram have joined the Bihar Bandh protests in Patna.

The statewide agitation, called by the Mahagathbandhan, is aimed at opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.

Speaking on the Bihar Bandh protest, Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed said, “You can see that people are taking our call for protest seriously. The ruling parties, along with the Election Commission, are troubling the public. There are many questions—was the vote of those who exercised their franchise in the 2024 elections not valid? The current government will not be able to continue.”

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is leading a joint opposition march to the Election Commission office in Patna, protesting against the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The protest, backed by Mahagathbandhan allies, coincides with a statewide "chakka jam" and Bharat Bandh led by central trade unions.