While the dates for the Bihar elections are yet to be announced, the key themes are already emerging. The Congress and RJD, key constituents of the India coalition, are leveling accusations of vote theft against the Election Commission and the BJP, primarily focusing on alleged manipulation within the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and irregularities from the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP has responded by accusing the opposition of protecting infiltrators and highlighting discrepancies in voter rolls. Accusations have been made against prominent figures, including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, as well as Abhishek Banerjee, concerning the integrity of voter lists.
Rahul Gandhi and the Congress have repeatedly accused the Election Commission of bias, particularly after elections in Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, alleging collusion between the BJP and the commission to influence outcomes. They have specifically raised concerns about EVM tampering and the commission’s actions in the Maharashtra Assembly elections.
The India coalition has vocally opposed the SIR in Bihar, culminating in a march from Parliament to the Election Commission involving 300 coalition MPs. Rahul Gandhi, during a press conference, accused the commission of fraudulent activities in the Mahadevpura Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka, marking a direct challenge to the commission’s integrity. The Election Commission responded with a strong rebuttal and issued a notice to Gandhi.
The opposition has embraced the issue of vote theft. Tejashwi Yadav, a prominent opposition leader, has accused BJP leaders of spreading misinformation and making unfounded claims for political gain. He has challenged the BJP to provide specific evidence of any infiltrators identified and removed via the SIR process.
The Congress party is running a social media campaign against vote theft on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, targeting not only the Election Commission but also the BJP and the Modi government.
Rahul Gandhi is set to embark on a 16-day ‘Voter Rights Yatra’ in Bihar, covering approximately 1300 kilometers. This yatra will involve key opposition figures, including Tejashwi Yadav and leaders from various coalition parties, which the Congress is presenting as a crucial step in defending democracy and constitutional rights, elevating it as a key issue in the Bihar elections.
In response to the allegations of vote theft, the BJP has launched its own offensive. Home Minister Amit Shah has accused Rahul Gandhi of protecting Bangladeshi infiltrators by opposing the SIR of electoral rolls before the Bihar Assembly elections. He emphasized that those not born in India do not have the right to vote.
During his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also addressed the issue of infiltration, announcing a demographic mission aimed at protecting citizens from demographic changes. He highlighted the alleged threat posed by infiltrators, claiming they undermine the livelihoods of the youth, target women, and exploit tribal populations. Modi declared that such actions would not be tolerated.
The BJP is now scrutinizing the election records of opposition leaders and making similar accusations. The party aims to defend the Election Commission and accuse the Congress and its allies of being involved in ‘vote theft’.
The BJP’s response has become increasingly aggressive. Senior BJP ministers have directly targeted Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of misrepresenting Election Commission data, citing discrepancies in the Maharashtra voter list to support their claims. They allege that the Congress consistently seeks to discredit the system after electoral losses.
The BJP’s narrative also targets the Gandhi family, with the IT cell head highlighting historical data suggesting that Sonia Gandhi’s voter registration occurred before her acquisition of Indian citizenship.
BJP leaders such as Dharmendra Pradhan have accused the Congress of prioritizing vote bank politics and of trying to manipulate voter rolls to include infiltrators. They claim that the opposition seeks to undermine the Election Commission when faced with unfavorable outcomes.
Anurag Thakur, a former union minister, pointed to irregularities in the voter registration within high-profile constituencies represented by opposition figures, alleging that these constituencies were won through ‘vote theft’ and fraudulent practices. The focus on these irregularities casts a shadow on the integrity of the electoral process, potentially influencing voter confidence and behavior during the elections.