New Delhi, Aug 26 (IANS) BJP leader Amit Malviya has launched a sharp rebuttal to the Opposition’s allegations of voter suppression in Bihar, calling the “vote chori” narrative a politically motivated gimmick devoid of factual basis.

Reacting to a recent report by an Indian English daily, Malviya argued on his X handle that the data itself dismantles the charge of targeted deletions under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

According to the report, three of Bihar’s most populous districts account for 10.63 lakh voter deletions — roughly 16.35 per cent of the total 65 lakh deletions across the state’s 38 districts.

These districts encompass 36 Assembly constituencies, where the BJP-JD(U) alliance secured 22 seats in the 2020 elections, while the Mahagathbandhan won 14.

Malviya emphasised that in 25 of these 36 constituencies, the number of deleted voters exceeds the margin of victory, and the NDA holds 18 of those seats.

“So much for the Opposition’s propaganda,” he wrote, asserting that the SIR process has impacted all parties equally and does not reflect any partisan bias.

The BJP leader said the data inadvertently undermines the Opposition’s claims. “The numbers clearly show that the SIR has impacted all parties equally,” Malviya wrote on X, framing the controversy as a desperate attempt by rivals to delegitimise electoral outcomes.

His remarks come amid heightened scrutiny over the scale and timing of voter deletions in Bihar, with Opposition leaders alleging that the revisions disproportionately affect their support base.

Malviya’s response signals the BJP’s intent to counter these claims with data-driven arguments, reinforcing its position that the revision process was transparent and impartial.

The article, which he posted on his X handle, deepens the statistical context behind Amit Malviya’s rebuttal. It highlights that in 25 of the 36 Assembly constituencies across Patna, Muzaffarpur, and Nalanda — three of Bihar’s most populous districts — the number of voter deletions during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise exceeds the margin of victory from the 2020 Assembly elections.

This detail is pivotal to Malviya’s argument that the deletions were not selectively targeted, but rather widespread and statistically indifferent to party lines.

Malviya’s response cites the data to dismantle the Opposition’s “vote chori” narrative.

By pointing out that the NDA holds 18 of those 25 seats where deletions outstrip victory margins, he suggested that if any party were disproportionately affected, it would be the BJP-JD(U) alliance itself. The implication is clear; the deletions, while significant, do not support claims of partisan manipulation.

–IANS

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