'Deleted votes in Bihar exceed victory margins of last polls in some seats'

The Congress on Saturday raised concerns over alleged discrepancies in the final voters list in Bihar, claiming that in several constituencies, the number of names deleted from the rolls exceeds the margin of victory in the last assembly election.

The party also alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) had acted under political pressure, conducting the recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar with the intention of benefiting the BJP and its allies.

Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh took to social media to criticise the Commission, calling it a "B-team" of the BJP and accusing it of failing to function independently.

In a post on X, Ramesh cited media reports claiming that 247 voters were registered at a single household in Jamui, Bihar. He further alleged that there were widespread irregularities in the final electoral rolls even after the completion of the SIR process.

"The Election Commission has orchestrated the entire SIR drama at the behest of the BJP. Even the claims of reforms by the Election Commission in the final SIR are proving to be wrong," Ramesh wrote in Hindi.

"Reports are coming in from all regions of Bihar that confirm the sole purpose of the entire process is to provide political advantage to the BJP and its allied parties," he added.

Ramesh also alleged that the final voters list showed blatant disregard for the Supreme Court’s directives.

"Functioning as the B-team of the BJP, the Election Commission has descended into complete shamelessness.

"Will Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar explain how 247 voters were found in a single household and why one person's name appears 3-3 times on the same booth? How are such massive irregularities surfacing in the final voter list? Or will they, as before, remain silent?" Ramesh asked.

He further noted that in some assembly segments, the number of names deleted from the rolls was higher than the winning margin in the previous elections—raising serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process.

The Congress has consistently maintained that the Election Commission is showing political bias, asserting that it has behaved like "a puppet of the ruling party". The party, along with other opposition groups, had approached the Supreme Court in an effort to halt the SIR process, claiming it targeted the voter base of opposition parties.

"The current lax functioning and politically biased policies of the Election Commission are adversely affecting India's democracy and our international image," Ramesh said.

"We are reiterating once again that instead of rushing to complete the SIR process initiated to assist the BJP, the Election Commission should work impartially," he added.

The Election Commission has denied the allegations and maintained that the Special Intensive Revision exercise is being conducted strictly in line with legal and constitutional norms.