logo
Tejashwi's poll boycott call a pressure tactic: Congress says all options open

Tejashwi's poll boycott call a pressure tactic: Congress says all options open

India Today3 days ago
A day after RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav hinted at a possible boycott of the upcoming Bihar elections over alleged discrepancies in the voter roll, the Congress on Wednesday responded cautiously, calling the statement a 'pressure tactic' and stressing that 'all options are open.'Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru said the INDIA bloc will deliberate on the matter. 'India Bloc partners will discuss it (poll boycott) and take a decision. Our all options are open,' he said.advertisementWhen asked by India Today whether the party was sending mixed signals that could confuse voters, Allavaru responded, 'We are not confusing voters but convincing them that their mandate is being stolen.'
Congress insiders clarified that Yadav's comments were not a signal to skip the polls, but rather a strategy to compel the Election Commission to address their concerns. 'This seems to be Mr Yadav's anguish over the biased working style of the Election Commission,' a senior Congress leader said, rejecting the idea of a boycott.Another source in the party said recent internal surveys have shown a rise in the Mahagathbandhan's vote share. 'Tejashwi remarks will only consolidate the base vote of Yadav and Muslim,' the leader said, adding that 'election boycott has never been an option.'Allavaru, during the briefing, directly attacked Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. 'It seems he has joined the ranks of the BJP to steal the votes of the Bihar people,' he alleged. He also dared the Election Commission to verify the process: 'Check 1000 voters randomly in every constituency and if the process is found right, Congress will get convinced by SIR.'- EndsMust Watch
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

‘After elections, you're under state govt again': Mamata tells BLOs not to harass any voter unnecessarily
‘After elections, you're under state govt again': Mamata tells BLOs not to harass any voter unnecessarily

Indian Express

time2 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

‘After elections, you're under state govt again': Mamata tells BLOs not to harass any voter unnecessarily

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday sought to remind booth-level officers (BLOs), who assist the Election Commission in preparing and updating voters' lists, that they work for the state government before and after elections, urging them to ensure no legitimate voter is removed from the lists. Speaking during an administrative meeting at Bolpur in Birbhum district, the chief minister also said she was not informed about the training given to the BLOs from the state in Delhi. 'About 1,000 BLOs were taken from West Bengal to Delhi for training, but I had no knowledge about it. I feel at least the district magistrates should have informed me, or informed the chief secretary. My request to the BLOs is to ensure that no one's name is removed from the voter list. Remember, after the election is announced, it comes under their purview. Before that, it is the state government, and again after the elections, it is the state government. So remember this: you are working for the state government. Don't harass any person unnecessarily,' Banerjee said. The chief minister also addressed widespread concerns about the alleged harassment of Bengali migrant workers in other states, especially those governed by the BJP. 'Children are also being harassed in other states. The Assam Government is sending notices to people of Bengal. Where does such audacity come from? If someone is gone for four days, does that mean his or her name will be removed from the voters' list?' she said. 'There are 2.2 million migrants; bring them back,' she further said, advising district magistrates to 'keep their eyes and ears open' and expressing dissatisfaction with their current efforts. Banerjee announced a scheme to assist migrants returning to West Bengal after alleged persecution. The scheme will 'include provisions to help them return safely, issue ration and job cards, and provide temporary shelters to those without a place to stay', the chief minister said. The chief minister strongly condemned the alleged persecution of Bengali-speaking migrants, calling it a 'deliberate' and 'politically motivated' act. 'Not just religious minorities, the poor and OBCs are also being targeted by them (the BJP). We must stand beside all persecuted Bengali migrants,' she said. The chief minister also touched upon recent law and order issues, including the murder of two Trinamool workers in Birbhum, and criticised the police. She reiterated the need for proactive policing under the Amar Para, Amar Samadhan (our neighbourhood, our solution) scheme. The chief minister's remarks come amid a politically charged atmosphere in West Bengal, with reports of alleged harassment of Bengali migrants in states such as Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan, Odisha, and Maharashtra causing concern among their families back home. Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More

Bizarre! In Bihar, dog gets residence certificate amid row over SIR; netizens ask 'where is billi mausi'
Bizarre! In Bihar, dog gets residence certificate amid row over SIR; netizens ask 'where is billi mausi'

Mint

time2 minutes ago

  • Mint

Bizarre! In Bihar, dog gets residence certificate amid row over SIR; netizens ask 'where is billi mausi'

In a bizarre turn of events from Bihar's Patna district, a residence certificate was issued in the name of a dog. The certificate, processed through the government's Right to Public Services (RTPS) portal in Masaurhi, listed the applicant as 'Dog Babu' and mentioned 'Kutta Babu' and 'Kutiya Devi' as the father and mother, respectively. To make it worse, the certificate even carried a passport-sized photo of a golden retriever and bore the digital signature of the local revenue officer. The fake document was detected during the Election Commission's ongoing voter verification exercise ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly polls. The Patna district administration has launched a probe. In a statement, it said, 'The certificate issued in the name of 'Dog Babu' has been cancelled. An FIR is being registered against the applicant, the computer operator, and the official involved. Disciplinary action will follow.' The Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of Masaurhi has been asked to submit a report within 24 hours. The timing of the incident is especially concerning as the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is underway across Bihar to clean up electoral rolls. Out of 66 lakh entries verified so far, over 22 lakh were found to be deceased, 36 lakh voters had either moved away or were untraceable, and several lakh others had duplicate or incomplete entries. The 'Dog Babu' case has now cast a spotlight on the digital verification process of documents submitted through RTPS—a crucial platform citizens use for official documents, including residence certificates, which are mandatory for voter registration, education, and job quotas. The EC has said genuine electors can still be added during the claims and objections window between August 1 and September 1. As political temperatures begin to rise in poll-bound Bihar, the incident has sparked debate over governance lapses, digital verification loopholes, and the need for stricter oversight ahead of the 2025 elections. Reacting to the post, a user wrote, 'This has to be the funniest fake certificate. Dog Babu, son of Kutta Babu & Kutiya Devi officially certified as a resident of Bihar. Someone really used a government template to make a dog's residence certificate! Bureaucracy gone wild or meme of the year?' Another user wrote, 'Well, NYC is about to recognise dogs as family members. So we are keeping pace with the world.' 'This happens only in Bihar,' a user added. 'Where is billi mausi?,' the third user wrote.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store