CPIML General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya expressed deep concern over the Bihar Assembly election results on Sunday. He stated that this time’s mandate is neither easily understandable nor in line with expectations. Describing it as “completely unexpected,” he said the situation warrants serious research and analysis.
Speaking at a press conference organized by CPIML, he noted that even during Nitish Kumar’s rise in 2010, the electoral scenario was not so one-sided. “Yet today, a faltering government has received such a large majority, which raises several questions,” he said.
Bhattacharya informed that a meeting of all party candidates—both winners and losers—was held. From 18 to 24 November, these candidates will conduct extensive public outreach campaigns in their respective areas. He emphasized that the party will express gratitude to supporters and seriously consider the opinions of those who did not vote.
The meeting was attended by State Secretary Kunal, Meena Tiwari, Shashi Yadav, newly elected MLA Sandeep Saurabh, Arun Singh, Shivprakash Ranjan, and Divya Gautam. The party’s Central Committee meeting is scheduled from 28–30 November, and the State Committee will convene on 1 December in Patna.
Bhattacharya alleged that the voter list, under the name of SIR (State Information Register), was prepared in a new way prior to the elections. According to him:
Approximately 7 million names were removed,
2.2 million names were added,
And within just 10 days after the final list was released, another 350,000 names were added.
He said this cannot be considered a part of routine administrative processes and has had a significant impact on the election results.
The MALE General Secretary also claimed that the election announcement was delayed until the government completed all its welfare announcements. “Funds for the ₹10,000 scheme were distributed throughout the election period. Allowing ₹30,000 crore to be distributed in 30 days—this has no precedent in India’s electoral history,” he said, warning that if this practice continues, not only the fairness of elections but democracy itself could be at risk.
According to Bhattacharya, MALE received over 1.4 million votes this time, with a vote share of around 3 percent, but secured barely 1 percent of seats. He added that while RJD received the highest number of votes, it was limited to just 25 seats. “This is the deep irony of the electoral system, where winning more votes still results in defeat,” he said.
He stated that MALE will intensify its struggle on real issues such as employment, education, labor rights, Dalit oppression, violence against women, and attacks on minorities.
Bhattacharya noted that the party has been receiving reactions from across different states, with widespread concern regarding the SIR. “The alliance has suffered a setback, people are disappointed, but the SIR issue is now not just Bihar’s, it is becoming a national issue,” he said.
He warned that the trend of creating a democracy without opposition is becoming evident, which is a dangerous signal for the democratic system. “This is concerning, but even amid this concern, a path forward will emerge,” he concluded.
