Is Tejashwi Yadav Considering a Boycott of Bihar Polls over SIR?

Patna, July 24 (NationPress) The Opposition Leader in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, has issued another warning regarding a potential boycott by the Mahagathbandhan of the forthcoming Bihar Assembly elections, pointing to alleged discrepancies in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list.

This statement was made on Thursday during a press interaction following the adjournment of the Assembly.

“We are closely monitoring the situation with the voter list and are keeping the possibility of an election boycott in mind,” Tejashwi remarked, asserting that elections lose their significance if they are compromised.

He accused the voter revision process of being rife with fraud, claiming, “Numerous forms are being submitted at a single location with forged signatures. The Election Commission’s process, supported by the government, constitutes a deception aimed at artificially inflating voter statistics. If there are foreign nationals voting illegally, how did they manage to get on the list when the NDA has governed Bihar for two decades and the Centre for 11 years?” Tejashwi questioned.

Expressing disappointment, Tejashwi noted that CM Nitish Kumar did not address the SIR issue in the Assembly, suggesting that the silence signifies the government’s approval of the Election Commission’s purported fraudulent practices.

He highlighted that the Election Commission’s affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court does not reference any foreign voters.

Tejashwi stated that the responsibility of identifying illegal foreigners lies with the Union Home Ministry, not the Election Commission.

Furthermore, he accused Deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary of deceit, citing the Labour Ministry's admission in the Lok Sabha that three crore individuals migrate from Bihar for employment, which contradicts the government’s narrative.

In a critical tone, Tejashwi remarked about the Assembly’s atmosphere, stating, “Certain ministers in the Assembly behave like monkeys just to attract attention. They lack experience and substantial arguments.”

He questioned the rationale behind filing an FIR against a journalist who was covering the protests surrounding SIR, emphasizing that the journalist was reporting on the actual conditions.

Notably, Tejashwi pointed out that the voter list was updated in February of this year. “So why is SIR being conducted again?” he queried.

Tejashwi’s renewed threat of a poll boycott heightens the conflict between the opposition and the NDA government, making the SIR matter a pivotal political issue ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.