Congress and Opposition challenge revision of Bihar voter rolls in Supreme Court
Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal described the revision as a rigging attempt orchestrated by the ECI under instructions from the ruling regime. 'As a signatory on behalf of the Indian National Congress, along with various opposition parties, we have approached the Hon'ble Supreme Court against the blatantly unconstitutional SIR exercise in Bihar. It has caused widespread anxiety among crores of voters who fear their right to vote will be stolen. This is mass-scale rigging and mischief by the ECI under the ruling regime's directive. We trust the Supreme Court will deliver justice,' he wrote on 'X'.
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Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
Kamal Nath claims 2023 assembly poll results influenced by 8% fake voters
Bhopal: Former chief minister Kamal Nath on Saturday alleged that BJP won the 2023 assembly election through fake voters. He said that in the 2018 assembly poll, both Congress and BJP got nearly the same percentage of votes. But in the next election, while Congress' vote percentage remained constant, BJP's vote numbers increased by 8%. Now, it has been revealed that 8 to 10% of voters in the state would be reduced when voter identification is linked to Aadhar cards. Linking of voters to Aadhar cards would be completed before the 2028 assembly election by the UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India). Taking to X, Kamal Nath said, "It has come to light that there are approximately 55-57 lakh fake voters in Madhya Pradesh. This number accounts for about 8-10% of the total voters in the state. Based on these very voters, the Madhya Pradesh Assembly election of 2023 was conducted." He argued, "Even before the election, the Congress Party repeatedly complained to the Election Commission (EC) about the presence of a large number of fake voters. The Congress Party also raised complaints about cases where more than a hundred voters were registered at a single address and provided photographs of the houses to the EC. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tại sao CFD tiền mã hóa có thể phù hợp với danh mục đầu tư của bạn IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Unfortunately, at that time, no appropriate action was taken against these fake voters. " Nath reasoned that in 2018, the vote percentage of Congress and the BJP was almost equal, at around 40%. "And in the 2023 assembly election, Congress's vote percentage remained around 40%, whereas the BJP's vote percentage saw a sudden jump of 8%. Is it merely a coincidence that the number of voters now being reported as fake corresponds closely to the additional 8% votes that the BJP received in the 2023 Assembly election?" the Congress veteran asked. This report that 8% to 10% of voters would be reduced when 100% of voters are linked to Aadhar cards makes it clear that the results of the 2023 Assembly election in Madhya Pradesh are not beyond the realm of suspicion, he said. "Later, a similar issue of large-scale voter inflation was raised in Maharashtra by the Lok Sabha LOP Rahul Gandhi himself. Time has now come for the public to become fully aware of their voting rights and ensure that every eligible voter registers their name and the names of ineligible individuals are removed," Kamal Nath said. "It is also clear here that the identification of fake voters is possible because their voter ID cards are being linked with Aadhaar cards. Therefore, the EC must, under all circumstances, include the Aadhaar card as a mandatory document for voter identification," he added. MSID:: 122408723 413 |
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
Three men, one mission: How EC officials transformed Bihar's electoral system
1 2 3 4 5 6 Over the decades, three Election Commission officials have left an indelible mark on Bihar's tumultuous electoral process. From confronting booth capturing in the 1990s to curbing muscle power in the 2000s and now checking bogus voters in 2025, each has faced resistance, made bold interventions and reshaped how elections are conducted in the state. TOI's Manoj Chaurasia highlights how these officers changed the course of Bihar's democracy. T N Seshan: The first serious shake-up came during the 1995 Bihar assembly elections under the watch of then chief election commissioner T N Seshan. At the time, elections in the state were marred by rampant booth grabbing, intimidation and open violence. Ballot papers were still in use and Bihar had acquired a reputation for lawlessness at the polls. Seshan responded with extraordinary resolve. He ordered massive reshuffles of district magistrates, deployed central paramilitary forces at sensitive booths and implemented strict administrative controls to curb malpractices. His actions captured the public imagination. "Seshan emerged as a model for every citizen and voter in Bihar for the kind of sincere action he took to ensure free and fair polling. He made people understand the power and purpose of the Election Commission," political analyst Ashok Mishra said. But not everyone was pleased. Then chief minister Lalu Prasad, angered by what he saw as overreach, famously lashed out, comparing Seshan to a rampaging bull. Yet, despite the political hostility, Seshan's intervention is remembered as a turning point when the EC began to be seen not just as a regulator, but as a guardian of democratic integrity. K J Rao: A decade later, during the 2005 assembly elections, it was K J Rao, then adviser to the Election Commission, who took centre stage in Bihar. Operating out of Room No. 328 in a Patna hotel near Gandhi Maidan, Rao oversaw one of the most closely monitored election operations in the state's history. With the RJD once again in power, Rao personally supervised compliance with the model code of conduct. He didn't hesitate to go after powerful political figures. Mohammad Shahabuddin was moved from Siwan to Beur Jail in Patna and both he and Sadhu Yadav, Lalu's brother-in-law, were externed from their constituencies while out on bail. His assertiveness forced even Lalu to cancel a planned rally, unheard of in Bihar's political theatre. Rao's presence sent a clear message – the rule of law would prevail over muscle power. His hands-on, fearless approach won admiration across the political spectrum and helped restore credibility to the electoral process. Gyanesh Kumar: Now, in 2025, chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has stepped into the spotlight with the launch of a special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. His goal – weeding out bogus voters and ensuring electoral purity ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. But the move triggered a political storm. The opposition INDIA bloc accused the EC of attempting to disenfranchise genuine, poor voters under the guise of verification. Protests were held in Patna and the matter reached the Supreme Court. Though the court refused to halt the process, it directed the EC to consider Aadhaar, voter ID and ration cards as valid documents alongside 11 others already prescribed. This intervention helped ease tensions, but Kumar's effort remains closely watched. Despite the criticism, the EC under Kumar has maintained that the revision is a legally mandated exercise to improve voter list accuracy, not a citizenship drive. With a massive administrative apparatus deployed and digital monitoring in place, Kumar now finds himself at the centre of Bihar's most controversial electoral clean-up in years.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Kila Raipur's heart begins to race
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