Insaaf Times Desk
CPI(ML) General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya has leveled serious allegations against the Election Commission, saying the Commission “is an expert at patting its own back, but what does it mean to spread lies about political parties?”
He said that CPI(ML) along with several other political parties has approached the Supreme Court against the SIR (State Integrated Register) and has been consistently fighting against it. “In such a situation, the Commission’s claim that all parties have congratulated and appreciated the SIR is an outright lie,” said Bhattacharya.
He further stated that during Saturday’s meeting in Patna, the CPI(ML) delegation held the Election Commission responsible for its negligence. “Despite this, the Commission issued a misleading statement,” he alleged.
In a memorandum submitted to the Election Commission in Patna, the CPI(ML) raised several serious concerns regarding the SIR and irregularities in the voter list. The party pointed out that while 6.5 million voters were removed in the draft list, another 366,000 names were deleted in the final list. The party questioned on what basis these names were removed and why such details have not been made public.
The CPI(ML) demanded that a booth-wise list of deleted voters along with reasons be immediately published.
The party also expressed concern over the declining number of women voters in the SIR list. According to the memorandum, Bihar’s census shows a male-female ratio of 914, but the SIR report reflects it as 892. CPI(ML) demanded to know why this drop occurred and who is responsible for it.
The memorandum mentioned reports from some newspapers stating that around 6,000 people have been marked as “doubtful citizens.” The CPI(ML) demanded that the Election Commission make public the list of these individuals and explain the basis on which their citizenship has been questioned.
The CPI(ML) noted that a multi-phase election process is “expensive and exhausting,” particularly for smaller political parties. It urged the Election Commission to conduct the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections in only two phases.
The party also alleged that in several districts, senior officers are being sidelined and junior officers are being appointed as Parading Officers. According to reports from Bhojpur, senior officials from Dalit, Muslim, and marginalized communities are being ignored in favor of those from socially dominant groups. The CPI(ML) has demanded an immediate inquiry and action into the matter.
The party claimed that polling agents are rarely provided with Form 17C on election day, raising questions about the transparency of the voting process. CPI(ML) urged the Commission to strictly ensure the availability of this form at every booth.
The party also highlighted that despite an increase in the number of polling booths, Dalit and Muslim-dominated localities still lack polling stations. It demanded that booths be established within these localities, and where necessary, mobile booths should also be arranged.
CPI(ML) concluded by urging the Election Commission to take these concerns and suggestions seriously, emphasizing that such steps are essential to maintain the trust of ordinary voters in the electoral process.
