The opposition is intensely scrutinizing the Election Commission and the BJP over the voter list revision in Bihar. The Election Commission has removed the names of 6.5 million individuals from the electoral rolls. Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav has asserted that the Election Commission should seek the resignations of those Members of Parliament from Bihar who were elected based on the votes of these 6.5 million individuals that have been found to be erroneous.
Adding to the discussion, Yadav addressed the bill introduced in Parliament concerning the removal of Prime Ministers and Chief Ministers for serious offenses. He argued that the bill, which proposes removing the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, and ministers after a 30-day detention period, is the BJP’s final maneuver. He accused the BJP government of attempting to introduce new legislation daily for fraudulent purposes. Furthermore, he anticipates that the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) allies will not support this initiative.
Details of the 6.5 Million Removals
The voter list revision in Bihar has ignited significant controversy. The draft voters list, published on August 9, revealed the removal of approximately 22.34 lakh names, reportedly due to deaths. In addition, 36.28 lakh names were struck off, with the reason cited as permanent migration. Furthermore, 7.01 lakh individuals were removed from the list because they could not be found at their registered addresses.
Multiple petitions have been submitted to the Supreme Court challenging this Special Intensive Revision (SIR). This revision is currently only being undertaken in Bihar, which is preparing for assembly elections in the upcoming months. One of the primary arguments in these petitions revolves around the alleged non-transparent nature of the name removal process.
MP’s Demand for Resignations
The MP from Azamgarh emphasized, “I want to question the Election Commission: If 6.5 million names in the voter list are incorrect, then how can the MPs elected by these very votes be legitimate? We need to obtain the resignations of these MPs and conduct elections for new representatives. If the voter list was flawed, the election of the MPs was naturally flawed as well.”
On the Bill Concerning the Removal of PMs and CMs
On August 18, the Election Commission announced the public release of the draft voter list in Bihar, revealing approximately 6.5 million names that were removed under the SIR initiative. Regarding the bill concerning the removal of PMs and CMs, he stated that it is not a constitutional amendment but is, in fact, unconstitutional. He characterized this as the BJP’s ultimate strategy, accusing them of attempting to introduce new laws daily for fraudulent purposes. The Samajwadi Party has voiced its opposition, and the entire opposition has collectively opposed it.
He further stated, “Regardless of the opposition, even their own coalition partners will not support this. Those who do not comply with the central government will be targeted, even if they belong to the BJP.”
In response to the statement from Pooja Pal, a former MLA expelled from the Samajwadi Party, regarding her concerns for her safety, Yadav stated that it is a political stunt. Moreover, he expressed his confidence in the victory of India alliance candidate B. Sudarshan Reddy in the Vice-Presidential election.