Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has fiercely criticized the Election Commission of India (EC) for claiming that 35.6 lakh voters in Bihar were untraceable at their registered addresses during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Calling the process an “eyewash” and alleging manipulation, Yadav accused the EC of targeting genuine voters to influence the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

The EC reported that 4.5% of Bihar’s 7.9 crore electorate—approximately 35.6 lakh voters—could face exclusion, citing reasons like 12.5 lakh deceased voters, 17.5 lakh who have permanently migrated, and 5.5 lakh with duplicate registrations. Yadav, addressing a press conference, questioned the timing and transparency of the exercise, alleging that the EC was acting under political pressure from the ruling BJP. “If even 1% of voters are removed per constituency, that’s 3,251 voters per seat, enough to sway results,” he said, noting that 52 seats in the 2020 elections had victory margins under 5,000 votes.

Yadav dismissed EC sources claiming illegal immigrants in the voter list as “mutra” (urine), questioning their credibility and demanding clarity on how many migrant workers, who often return to vote, were being unfairly targeted. He also criticized the EC’s silence on the Supreme Court’s suggestion to include Aadhaar and ration cards for verification, alleging that forms were being mishandled, with some found discarded in public places. The EC has set a July 25 deadline for political parties to verify voter statuses, with the draft electoral roll due on August 1.

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