Did the RJD Raise Concerns Over Election Fairness with EC Officials?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- The RJD is advocating for electoral transparency.
- Concerns about the removal of voter names are significant.
- The meeting with the EC was a strategic move for the RJD.
- Transparency is crucial for fair elections.
- The Supreme Court emphasized the need for accountability in voter lists.
Patna, Sep 11 (NationPress) A team from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), headed by Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha and Buxar Lok Sabha MP Sudhakar Singh, engaged with officials from the Election Commission in Delhi, advocating for transparency and equity in the forthcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
Post-meeting, RJD national spokesperson Manoj Jha conveyed that the party articulated its apprehensions to the Election Commissioner comprehensively.
“We highlighted a range of issues, including postal ballots, claims, objections, and their timelines in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). We are optimistic that the Commission will respond positively to our concerns,” stated Jha.
In response to the Congress's recent comments on Tejashwi Yadav's candidacy for CM, Jha remarked: “Each party has its own perspective. However, the citizens of Bihar desire Tejashwi as their CM.”
The RJD has persistently advocated for reforms in the electoral framework, aiming to fortify the autonomy of the Election Commission.
Party representatives contend that an unequivocally impartial Commission is vital for democracy to operate justly.
The significance of this meeting is heightened by the fact that numerous opposition parties have recently questioned the impartiality of the Election Commission.
By officially presenting its grievances, RJD positions itself as a key player in the INDIA bloc’s campaign while seeking institutional safeguards ahead of the pivotal Bihar Assembly elections.
Following the initial phase of the SIR concerning electoral rolls, the Election Commission (EC) has removed over 65 lakh names from Bihar’s voter list.
The Commission asserted that these deletions were due to duplicate entries, migration, or deceased voters.
Nevertheless, this extensive removal has sparked significant backlash among opposition parties, including the RJD, Congress, Left parties, and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP).
Leaders have claimed that legitimate voters might have been unjustly removed from the rolls, potentially jeopardizing the fairness of the upcoming Assembly elections.
The issue reached the Supreme Court, which mandated the Election Commission to disclose the names of all individuals whose entries were deleted.
The court highlighted that transparency is crucial to ensure that eligible voters are not disenfranchised.