BJP–EC collusion, SIR used to drop Bihar voters’ names, alleges Ajay Rai

Calling the Bihar assembly election verdict “astonishing” and “deeply unsettling,” Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai on Friday accused the BJP and the Election Commission of a troubling “collusion” that he claimed robbed lakhs of citizens of their fundamental right to vote.

Speaking at a seminar commemorating the birth anniversary of former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the state Congress headquarters, Rai said malpractice carried out under the guise of SIR amounted to nothing less than a “direct assault on democracy”.

Addressing party workers with a blend of indignation and resolve, Rai alleged that lakhs of voter names were struck off electoral rolls in Bihar under the pretext of SIR, effectively disenfranchising them. He warned that with Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections drawing near, similar “tactics” could surface again if citizens and party workers did not remain vigilant.

“We must shine a light on wrongdoing carried out in the name of SIR,” he urged. “It is our collective responsibility to ensure every voter’s name stays on the rolls. And if required, we will take to the streets. I will stand shoulder to shoulder with you in this fight.”

Earlier in the day, Rai, accompanied by former ministers Raj Bahadur and Naseemuddin Siddiqui, along with Indian Overseas Congress UP chairman Capt Banshidhar Mishra, paid floral tributes to Nehru. The seminar reflected on Nehru’s legacy, with speakers recalling the first prime minister as the architect of modern India — a leader who championed scientific inquiry, democratic values, socialism, education, and technological progress.

Rai said the nation needs Nehru’s vision “now more than ever”, adding that India’s harmony and progress can only flourish when equality, constitutional morality, and democratic principles are upheld.

With PTI inputs