Patna | July 9, 2025
Leaders of the INDIA bloc, including senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, spearheaded a statewide Bihar Bandh on Wednesday to protest the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The bandh saw widespread disruptions across the state, including road blockades, train stoppages, and mass demonstrations.
Ground Situation
Supporters of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and Left parties took to the streets early in the morning, blocking major highways and railway tracks in districts such as Patna, Darbhanga, Jehanabad, and Araria. Protesters were seen burning tyres and raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP, and the Election Commission.
Train services were severely impacted, with reports confirming that several express and passenger trains were halted at multiple locations. In Patna’s Maner region, NH-30 remained blocked for several hours. Independent MP Pappu Yadav’s supporters also disrupted rail traffic in north Bihar.
Leaders’ Allegations
Addressing the rally in Patna, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the BJP was attempting to implement a “new Bihar model” to manipulate the upcoming Assembly elections. “They are trying to delete the names of poor people from the voter list so they cannot vote. This is an attack on democracy,” Gandhi stated.
Tejashwi Yadav went a step further, accusing the Election Commission of acting under political influence. “The EC has become a wing of a political party. Will two people from Gujarat decide who in Bihar is eligible to vote?” he asked.
EC’s Stand
The Election Commission of India, however, defended the ongoing SIR exercise, calling it a routine and legal procedure mandated before every election to clean the voter rolls of duplicate, deceased, and ineligible entries. Officials confirmed that the revision process had reached over 47% completion, with more than 3.7 crore forms already collected statewide.
A senior EC official reiterated that no name would be removed arbitrarily and that voters have full rights to appeal deletions or corrections.
Legal Developments
Multiple Public Interest Litigations (PILs) have been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the legality and timing of the SIR. The Court has agreed to hear these petitions on July 10, although it declined to stay the process until then.
The petitions argue that the SIR disproportionately affects marginalized communities such as Dalits, Mahadalits, migrants, and economically weaker sections by imposing excessive documentation requirements.
Political Implications
With the Bihar Assembly elections expected in October–November 2025, the controversy over voter list revision has become a major flashpoint between the opposition and the ruling party. The INDIA bloc alleges a deliberate attempt to influence the voter base, while the government maintains that the process is being conducted fairly.