
'Can be discussed': Tejashwi Yadav on possibility of Bihar election boycott over SIR exercise; says 'will see what the people want'
Tejashwi Yadav
on Wednesday hinted that the opposition Mahagathbandhan might consider boycotting the upcoming
Bihar assembly elections
, accusing the ruling
NDA
of manipulating the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
'That too can be discussed. We will see what the people want and what everyone's opinion is,' Yadav told IANS when asked if a poll boycott was on the table.
The remark came amid uproar in the Bihar Assembly, where RJD and other opposition MLAs demanded a full debate on the SIR process. 'Bihar is the cradle of democracy, and attempts are being made to strangle it,' Yadav said, accusing chief minister Nitish Kumar of suppressing discussion on the issue.
Echoing Rahul Gandhi's recent claims of electoral manipulation, Yadav alleged that in some states, dozens of voters were listed under the same BJP worker's address. He warned of similar tactics being deployed in Bihar through the SIR process.
Despite the ongoing political tensions, Yadav confirmed that the INDIA bloc has finalised its seat-sharing formula and leadership structure for the Bihar elections. 'An announcement will be made soon,' he said.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
21 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Supreme Court refuses to defer Lalu Prasad Yadav's trial in land-for-jobs case
The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to defer Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's trial in the land-for-jobs case. It said his petition before the Delhi high court challenging the summons against him will not become 'infructuous' if the trial court frames charges against him. Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. (PTI) On July 18, the Supreme Court refused to stay the trial in a Delhi court even as it exempted him from appearing before it. In his fresh plea heard on Wednesday, Yadav sought deferment of trial until August 12, when the high court will examine his petition challenging the summons issued to him in the case the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered against him in 2022. Land was allegedly gifted or transferred to Yadav's family members and associates for appointments made during his tenure as the railway minister from 2004 to 2009. Yadav argued the CBI's first information report (FIR) is not maintainable as it was filed without the Central government's sanction under the Prevention of Corruption Act, which shields public servants from unnecessary prosecution for acts in an official capacity. On May 29, the high court issued notice on Yadav's petition to the CBI and posted the matter for hearing on August 12. It refused to stay the trial. The Supreme Court upheld the refusal on July 18. Yadav then requested the high court to advance the hearing of his petition or defer the trial, which is at the stage of framing of charges. A bench of justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh refused to interfere when the matter came up before them a second time on Wednesday. Advocate Mudit Gupta, appearing for Yadav, requested the court to adjourn the case as senior advocate Kapil Sibal was busy. Additional solicitor general SV Raju, who appeared for CBI, called Yadav's petition an abuse of law. He alleged attempts were being made to impede the trial. 'Heavy cost should be imposed on filing of such a petition,' Raju said. The bench declined the request.


The Hindu
31 minutes ago
- The Hindu
After a week of washout, will debate on Operation Sindoor bring order in the House?
Protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar largely gutted proceedings last week in Parliament. This week, a change is expected as Lok Sabha takes up a discussion on the Pahalgam attacks and Operation Sindoor. Rajya Sabha shall resume its suspended discussion on The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025. On Friday (July 25), Opposition members, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi, held a protest in the Parliament complex, tearing and disposing of SIR posters in the bin in a symbolic rejection of exercise. Sloganeering continued once Lok Sabha resumed business for the day, leading to multiple adjournments. Later in the day, Lok Speaker Om Birla called a meeting of Lok Sabha floor leaders of parties with five or more MPs, seeking to put an end to the current parliamentary logjam. A consensus was reached, and Lok Sabha is expected to function normally from today. The Supreme Court hearing on the SIR, however, is scheduled for today, leaving slight possibilities open for new disruptions in House proceedings. In the Rajya Sabha, new members from Tamil Nadu took oath in the Rajya Sabha. This included actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan, former Additional Advocate General and incumbent MP P. Wilson, poet Rajathi alias Salma, and S.R. Sivalingam – all backed by the DMK and its allies. AIADMK's I.S. Inbadurai and M. Dhanapal are expected to take oath today. Discussion on any bill, however, did not take place, with quick adjournments following the start of business for the day. Chair Jagadambika Pal made an impassioned plea for peace in the House, stressing that Friday was the only day set aside for Private Members' Bills, and that several members wished to introduce bills on important subjects. He highlighted that the entire week had been washed out and asked members to go home over the weekend and ask their constituents if they wanted them to discuss issues or create furore in the house. His pleas failed to cur the ice, and the House was adjourned for the day sans much progress. Since the passing of the Bills of Lading Bill, 2025 on the very first day of the Monsoon session (July 21, 2025), the Rajya Sabha has conducted little legislative business of note. An unexpected development had also emerged in the form of the resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, the de facto chair of the Rajya Sabha. Now, the secretary-general of the Rajya Sabha P.C Mody has been appointed as the returning officer for the vice presidential poll. At the heart of the contention between the Centre and the outgoing vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar is the notice for impeachment motion against Justice Varma moved by the Opposition in Rajya Sabha. Government sources stated that the motion in the Rajya Sabha is not admissible on technical grounds, since it has incomplete paperwork. The motion is now expected to be taken up only in the Lok Sabha, where, if admitted, a three member-panel will be formulated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, comprising a Supreme Court Judge, a high court judge and an eminent jurist. Follow along for live updates from Parliament here, as we keep an eye on what happens in both Houses today. Until next time.


The Hindu
31 minutes ago
- The Hindu
No legislative business... again
Proceedings in Parliament on Thursday were mired in chaos, with protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, multiple adjournments and little progress on any legislative matters. In both Houses, Opposition members continued their protest against the Election Commission's SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar and demanded its rollback. The potential extension of the exercise to poll-bound States such as West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala next year is giving rise to even greater concern. Read more about what the Election Commission said about the SIR in its counter-affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, where a writ petition is challenging the constitutionality of this undertaking. In the Rajya Sabha, discussion on a Bill- the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill- progressed after a fashion in the post-lunch session, with AIADMK's M Thambidurai continuing his interrupted speech from the day before, and YSRCP's Ayodhya Rami Reddy rising to speak. Persistent din and sloganeering, however, led to the Chair Bhubaneshwar Kalita to adjourn proceedings shortly thereafter. All notices under Rule 267, demanding discussions on various issues, were rejected by Deputy Chairman Harivansh. The Upper House also bid farewell to six members from Tamil Nadu — M.M. Abdullah, N. Chandrasekaran, Anbumani Ramadoss, M. Shanmugam, Vaiko and P Wilson — who are retiring. Further, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, known for handling the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack trials, took oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President on July 13. Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha's attempts to hold a discussion on the Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the Goa Legislative Assembly came to naught, with protests necessitating a quick end to proceedings. Even as debate was stalled, some points of interest emerged from written replies to questions from Lok Sabha members. The National Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Hub Scheme, which seeks to encourage entrepreneurship among community members, benefited around 1.45 lakh individuals, as per a reply from Jitan Ram Manjhi, the Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. The Minister also shared, in response to another question, that UP has more than 22 lakh women-led MSMEs, as per digital registration records. Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari stated in a written reply that the length of the National Highway network expanded from a little more than 91,000 km in March 2014 to 1.46 lakh km at present. Progress is seemingly happening, at least on paper. It remains to be seen how this will be reflected in the day-to-day workings of the country, and more pertinently, in the day-to-day workings of Parliament. Today, Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to move a resolution in the Rajya Sabha to extend President's Rule in Manipur for another six months. Follow along for live updates from Parliament here, as we keep an eye on both Houses. Until next time.