Ashok Gehlot questions Election Commission's voter list revision ahead of Bihar polls

Patna, June 30 (IANS) Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has raised sharp questions on the Election Commission’s move to revise the voter list ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, alleging it is creating confusion among voters.

Speaking to reporters at Patna Airport, Gehlot said: “Before the Bihar polls, the Election Commission is adopting new tricks. What is the need to take such steps just before the elections?”

Gehlot questioned the urgency and transparency of the voter list revision of nearly 8 crore voters within 25 days, stating that people are confused about the requirement of documents such as birth certificates.

“People of Bihar living in Delhi are asking where to get birth certificates from. This is creating confusion among the people,” he said.

He demanded that the Election Commission immediately clear the confusion.

“This work is being done without taking the Opposition into confidence,” Gehlot said.

Earlier, Krishna Allavaru, Bihar Congress incharge, alleged that the BJP was behind this conspiracy to suppress the votes of the poor, backward, and minority communities by removing their names from the voter list before the elections.

“Earlier, the BJP was using back channels to remove the names of minorities, poor, and backward caste people from the voter list. Now they are doing the same through the Election Commission in Bihar. We strongly object to this move by the EC. It is a big conspiracy by the BJP to prevent poor, Dalit, and minority voters from participating in the electoral process ahead of the crucial Bihar Assembly elections in 2025,” Allavaru had said.

The Opposition leaders in Bihar, including the RJD's Tejashwi Yadav have strongly criticised the move of the EC, ever since it was announced and implemented in Bihar.

On Sunday, Tejashwi Yadav expressed concern over the Election Commission’s notification for preparing a new voter list of 8 crore voters within 25 days, alleging it was a conspiracy to remove the names of poor, Dalits, backwards, extremely backward, tribals, and minority voters from the rolls.

--IANS

ajk/rad