New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) As the Bihar elections draw near, the row over voter list revision has snowballed into a political controversy, with Congress MP Kishori Lal Sharma questioning the “timing and intent” behind the exercise and how the 2024 voter list can suddenly be faulty now.

Talking to IANS on Thursday in New Delhi, the Congress MP said, “If the 2024 voter list was accurate, how can it suddenly be faulty now? If that list was flawed, then cancel the general elections held on its basis.”

Sharma said that democratic institutions like the Election Commission must uphold their constitutional responsibility.

Responding to BJP’s defence of the process and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s earlier objections to the Maharashtra list, Sharma said, “Why is this being done just before elections? Why not earlier? The Election Commission should convene an all-party meeting — this selective engagement raises questions about their intent.”

It is pertinent to note here that a delegation of INDIA bloc leaders on Wednesday met senior officials of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to raise concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar.

The delegation included representatives from the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and CPI (ML) Liberation.

Elections in Bihar are scheduled for October-November 2025, and the poll panel has already initiated the revision exercise to ensure that all eligible voters are included and ineligible entries are removed.

The Commission emphasised that the revision is being conducted under the provisions of Article 326, the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and guidelines issued on June 24.

However, INDIA bloc leaders alleged a lack of transparency in the process and demanded a meeting involving all political parties to discuss the revision exercise.

They are repeatedly pointing out that if the 2024 voter list was correct, how can it be considered faulty now and if it was flawed, then the general elections held on its basis should be cancelled.

Ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls has intensified into a key political conflict between the ruling NDA and the Opposition.

Notably, the poll panel in the last few months has been meeting with several party leaders.

These include the BJP, BSP, CPI(M), AAP, and NPP in the past few weeks.

It also met the TMC delegation on Tuesday. However, during Wednesday’s meeting, the ECI reportedly insisted it would only interact with party presidents or authorised top-level representatives, not all delegation members — a move that further irked the Opposition leaders.

As the Bihar elections draw near, the row over voter list revision is likely to intensify, adding another layer to the already heated political climate.

–IANS

sas/rad