Patna, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav has made serious allegations against the Election Commission of India (ECI). In a press conference held in Patna on Friday, he lashed out at the Election Commission and said that the announcement of special intensive revision of the voter list just before the assembly elections in Bihar is a 'conspiracy', which aims to snatch the voting rights of the poor, Dalits and minorities. Tejashwi also said that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the BJP government at the Center are also involved in this conspiracy.

What is Tejashwi angry about?

Assembly elections are going to be held in Bihar in October-November 2025. Meanwhile, the Election Commission announced a special revision of the voter list in Bihar on 24 June 2025. In this process, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will go door-to-door to check the information and documents of the voters. The last such revision was done in 2003, which lasted for 2 years. This time the commission has set a target of preparing a list of 8 crore voters in just 25 days, which Tejashwi has termed as 'impossible' and 'suspicious'.

What are Tejashwi's main allegations?

Conspiracy to deprive the poor of votes: Tejashwi said that the Election Commission canceled the recently published voter list of 8 crore Biharis and talked about making a new list. He raised the question that when the recent Lok Sabha elections were held on this voter list, then why is a new list needed for the assembly elections? He alleged that this step is a conspiracy to prevent the poor, Dalits and minorities from voting.

Impossible to make a list of 8 crore voters in 25 days: Tejashwi said that 22 years ago in 2003, the revision of the voter list was completed in two years. Now how is it possible to make a list of 8 crore people in just 25 days and verify it by going door to door? He called it a 'tampering with democracy and the Constitution'.

Wrong timing during floods: He said that 73% of Bihar's area is affected by floods during monsoon. In such a situation, people are busy saving their lives and property. Then from where will they give the documents to the Election Commission? Tejashwi questioned that if this was necessary, then why was this work not started as soon as the Lok Sabha elections were over?

Difficult conditions of documents for the poor: Tejashwi said that under the new rules, birth certificate and proof of parents' citizenship will have to be given to be included in the voter list. 59% of people below 40 years of age (about 4.76 crores) and youth of 18-20 years will have to prove this. He said that among the children born between 2001-2025, only 2.8% have birth certificates and only 10-13% have completed high school. Where will the poor have such documents? He also said that Aadhar card is not being recognized, which will create more difficulties for the poor.

No arrangement for migrant labourers: Tejashwi said that 3 crore people of Bihar live in other states for employment. No arrangement has been made for them to get their names added to the voter list. He questioned how these labourers will use their voting rights?

Targeting Nitish and BJP: Tejashwi alleged that Nitish Kumar became a part of this conspiracy by going to Delhi. He was referring to Nitish's recent Delhi visit, which he linked to the possibility of NDA's defeat in Bihar. He also accused BJP and RSS of changing the Constitution and snatching the voting rights of the poor.

Comparison with caste census: Tejashwi said that it took 9 months for caste census in Bihar, in which no documents were asked. Then how can such a complex work be done in 25 days? He called it an attempt to benefit the ruling parties.