Modi influencing EC to scrap Bihar voter list: Tejashwi Yadav
What's the story
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of influencing the Election Commission (EC) to scrap Bihar's voter list. He alleged that the EC was asked to prepare a new list using documents predating 1987. "In their frustration over electoral defeat, these people are now conspiring to strip Bihar and its people of their voting rights," he wrote on X.
Twitter Post
Yadav's post on X
प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने निर्वाचन आयोग को बिहार की समस्त मतदाता सूची को निरस्त कर केवल 25 दिन में 1987 से पूर्व के कागजी सबूतों के साथ नई मतदाता सूची बनाने का निर्देश दिया है। चुनावी हार की बौखलाहट में ये लोग अब बिहार और बिहारियों से मतदान का अधिकार छीनने का षड्यंत्र कर रहे… pic.twitter.com/AMr2lpXvKo
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) June 28, 2025
Welfare concerns
Will discuss this with other opposition alliance leaders: Yadav
Yadav further warned that under the "special intensive revision," people's names could be removed from voter rolls, depriving them of basic welfare schemes. He said this would prevent the issuance of voter ID cards and access to ration, pension, reservation benefits, scholarships, among others. The RJD leader also said he discussed these concerns with other opposition alliance leaders.
Election update
Bihar elections
The statement comes ahead of the Bihar assembly elections, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is contesting with Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Meanwhile, Yadav's RJD will contest as part of the opposition INDIA bloc. The EC had announced a special revision of electoral rolls in June, raising questions about its timing so close to elections.
Criticism voiced
Decision criticized by several opposition leaders
The decision has been criticized by several opposition leaders. Yadav questioned if it was feasible to prepare a new voters' list for eight crore people in 25 days. He alleged that the required documents are often not available to poor citizens, and his party would approach the EC on this issue. All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi accused the EC of conducting National Register of Citizens (NRC) through "the backdoor."
Additional criticism
Bihar Congress president slams EC's decision
Owaisi argued that expecting poor people to have their parents' documents was unrealistic and would result in disenfranchisement. Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar also slammed the EC's decision, alleging it was a conspiracy against Dalits, minorities, and economically weaker sections. The last intensive revision of the voters' list in Bihar was done in 2003. Booth Level Officers will conduct a door-to-door survey as part of this revision exercise.