Latest news with #GirdhariYadav
Hindustan Times
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
JD–U issues notice to MP who spoke out against ECI's electoral roll revision in Bihar
PATNA: The Janata Dal (United) on Thursday issued a show cause to its Banka MP Girdhari Yadav for his statements against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) currently underway in Bihar. JD-United MP from Banka, Girdhari Yadav had spoken out against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) currently underway in Bihar. (ANI Screengrab) The letter said the JD-U viewed his statements 'as a lapse of discipline and not in consonance with the Janata Dal United's stated position on the matter' and gave him 15 days to respond to the show cause notice, 'failing which disciplinary action may be initiated against you.' Yadav on Wednesday attacked the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the exercise in Bihar, saying it would raise questions about the verdict in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. 'If the electoral roll was correct for the Lok Sabha polls, then how can it be incorrect for the assembly polls to be held in a few months. Have I been elected on the basis of the incorrect electoral roll?' Yadav asked. On Thursday, he warned that the exercise could result in large-scale voter exclusion, particularly among marginalised communities and criticised the ECI for conducting the revision at a time when Bihar is reeling under a flood-like situation and farming activities are at their peak. He demanded that the ECI should be given at least six months to conduct the process. 'It is the duty of the Election Commission to ensure that the voters don't face any troubles. There's not much time left for elections now. This SIR work should've been done six months back,' he added. In its notice, JD (U) national general secretary Afaque Ahmed Khan said, 'You are well aware that in exercise of its power under Article 324 of the Constitution and the Representation of People Act 1950, the honourable ECI has ordered a special intensive revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar.' 'You are also aware that certain opposition parties, frustrated by their electoral outcome have been running a sustained campaign to discredit the ECI, particularly on the issue of electronic voting machines (EVMs) with the sole objective of creating public doubt for the functioning of a constitutional body,' the letter said. 'Our party, the Janata Dal have consistently supported the ECI and the use of EVMs, both during our time in the INDIA alliance and now as part of the NDA. In this context your public comments on such a sensitive matter especially in an election year not only causes embarrassment to the party but also inadvertently lend credibility to the baseless and politically motivated allegations made by the opposition.'
NDTV
23-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"Bihar Voter Revision Imposed": Nitish Kumar MP's 'Personal Opinion'
New Delhi: The row over a ' special intensive revision ' of Bihar's voter list - months before an Assembly election - took a big twist Wednesday after a MP from the ruling Janata Dal United backed the opposition's criticism of the timing of the exercise and calls to de-link it from the poll. Girdhari Yadav, the MP from Banka in southeastern Bihar, said the Election Commission had "no practical knowledge" and had "forcefully imposed" the revision on nearly eight crore voters. "... the Election Commission has no practical knowledge. It neither knows the history nor geography of Bihar. It took 10 days for me to collect all the documents. My son stays in America... how will he complete all formalities in just a month?" "This 'special intensive revision' has been imposed on us forcefully," Mr Yadav told reporters outside Parliament this morning, on the third day of the monsoon session. #WATCH | Monsoon Session of Parliament |On SIR (Special Intensive Revision), JDU MP Giridhari Yadav, says "...Election Commission has no practical knowledge. It neither knows the history nor the geography of Bihar. It took 10 days for me to collect all the documents. My son… — ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2025 "Six months should have been given for this," he said. The JDU MP also clarified - in anticipation of questions from his party, which is allied with the BJP - this is his personal opinion. "It doesn't matter what the party is saying... this is the truth. If I can't say the truth, why have I become an MP?" Mr Yadav asked reporters. The JDU leader's comments have been played down by Union Minister Chirag Paswan, whose Lok Janshakti Party is allied with the BJP at the centre but is expected to contest the election solo. "This process has been made to make it easy. Online forms can be filled... I understand a lot of people are not living in Bihar but their families are they can fill in the forms," he said. NDTV Explains | Row Over 'Special Intensive Revision' Of Bihar Voter List The EC has said the revision - a constitutionally-mandated exercise - is necessary to remove individuals who may have died or migrated, or others who may have been registered twice. On Tuesday the poll panel said around 52 lakh entries had been deleted. Last week the EC also said a significant number of 'voters' were from foreign countries. The opposition has alleged the EC's exercise, which they claim has been ordered by the BJP, targets voters from marginalised and poorer communities that they see as their voter base. The opposition also criticised the EC's decision to exclude commonly accepted and government-issued IDs, including the Aadhaar and its own identity card, for voter verification. Earlier this month RJD chief Tejashwi Yadav, the face of the opposition, questioned the claim that over 80 per cent of voters had been 're-verified' when an estimated four crore live outside the state. The Congress also hit out at the EC, accusing the government of using the poll body to implement the contentious National Register of Citizens. "It is not the responsibility of the EC to prove citizenship. Why is this exercise being conducted five months before the polls?" Jairam Ramesh told news agency ANI. Challenges to the revision are being heard by the Supreme Court, which asked searching questions of the Election Commission, including the timing of the exercise, but allowed it to continue. The court did call for the Aadhaar and election ID cards to be accepted, but, in a nearly 800-page affidavit, the poll panel declared it could not take up this suggestion. The court also directed the EC to ensure the process is completed, including hearing and settling of appeals by people removed from the list, before the election. The EC has said the final list will be published September 30.
