After a meeting with political parties in Patna, the Election Commission claimed that all parties had congratulated it on the final electoral roll for SIR. CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya immediately rejected this, saying that the Commission is adept at praising itself but spreading falsehoods about political parties. He emphasized that CPI(ML) and other parties who have approached the Supreme Court and continued their struggle against discrepancies in SIR have no reason to thank the Election Commission. In the Patna meeting, the CPI(ML) delegation held the Commission accountable for its lapses and challenged the false statements made regarding party positions.
The Commission’s statement clearly contradicts the concerns raised by CPI(ML) in its letter dated 4 October 2025. In that letter, the CPI(ML) demanded that the Election Commission provide a complete booth-wise list with reasons for the deletion of 3 lakh 66 thousand names from the draft voters list, and a detailed booth-wise list of the approximately 21 lakh voters added to the final list, including both new voters and those reinstated after claims and objections. The party highlighted the discrepancy in the male-female ratio, with census figures showing 914 women per 1000 men while the final list shows 892, and sought clarification on the reported decline in female voters. CPI(ML) also demanded disclosure of around 6 thousand voters whose citizenship is under question, with reasons for the suspicion made public.
The letter further raised concerns about the appointment of polling officers, noting that senior officials from Muslim, Dalit, and other weaker communities were being bypassed in favor of officers from socially dominant groups, and demanded a state-wide investigation and immediate corrective measures. The party insisted that Form 17C be strictly enforced on polling day, and that booths for Dalits, Muslims, and other weaker sections be located within their neighborhoods or established as mobile booths where necessary. CPI(ML) also urged that the Bihar Assembly elections be conducted in two phases to reduce the burden, expense, and fatigue of multiple-phase elections.
The party stated that these steps are essential to preserve public trust in the electoral process and demanded that the Election Commission act immediately to address these lapses.
