Opposition Boycott Of Bihar Polls? Tejashwi Yadav Says "May Discuss"

Rashtriya Janata Dal's Tejashwi Yadav has alleged that the Election Commission is taking its orders from the ruling BJP and in such circumstances, holding an election has become meaningless. Asked if the Opposition would consider boycotting the coming assembly polls in Bihar, he said it might be discussed with the allies of Grand Alliance. 

"If the BJP wants to run the government using fake voter lists, then just give them an extension. What's the point of holding elections if the entire process is dishonest?" Tejashwi Yadav told news agency IANS.

Asked if a boycott of the election is possible, he said, "Boycott is an option, but we will think about it". "We will consult our alliance partners and the public before taking a final call," he added.

The row over Special Intensive Revision or SIR escalated in parliament today as the Opposition held a "black protest" when the government refused to discuss the matter.  

Sources said the government had argued that the Election Commission was holding the revision and it could not answer on behalf of the poll body. In such a situation, can the issue of revision of voter list be discussed, the government had argued, sources said. 

The matter became a bone of contention in the Bihar Assembly too, with RJD and other opposition MLAs demanding a full-fledged debate on the SIR process. 

Mr Yadav slammed the Election Commission for not addressing the concerns raised by the Opposition, claiming that genuine voters were being deleted from the rolls while the poll body is busy showcasing inflated revision figures before the Supreme Court.

"Earlier voters chose the government, now the government is choosing voters," he said, calling the exercise a "fraudulent drive".

The Election Commission announced earlier today that 56 lakh names -- up from yesterday's 42 lakh -- have been dropped from the draft voters' list that will be out on August 1. Of these, 20 lakh people were dead, 28 lakh have permanently migrated, 7 lakh are enrolled at multiple places and 1 lakh remain untraceable.

The Election Commission has also claimed the voters are satisfied with the exercise and assured that there will be time to tweak the lists and include anyone who need to be included. 

The poll body has also claimed that the Special Intensive Revision or SIR is its constitutional duty. In court, where the matter is pending, it has argued that the entire process is being conducted in a consistent and jurisdictional manner.