New Delhi [India], July 22 : Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Sanjay Yadav on Tuesday slammed the Election Commission (EC) over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the EC have an "alliance" between them.
He accused EC of working at the behest of the ruling NDA and raised concerns over a lack of transparency in the SIR process.
"This is happening at the behest of the NDA. NDA and EC have an alliance. EC is one of their allies. So, they will not speak anything against their ally. There is no transparency in the entire process of SIR; there is a discrepancy and a scam," Yadav alleged.
He further accused EC of not following their own standard operating procedures and claimed that the reported progress in the SIR was only on paper.
"Day before yesterday, the EC said that 95.93% of process is complete. But it has happened only on paper. They have not followed their own SOP... There is NDA Govt in Bihar for 20 years and a BJP Govt at the Centre for 11 years now. If they think that we are protecting some unauthorised people, then who is responsible for this and how did their name come in the voter list? ...We are not questioning the process, we are questioning the working and timeline of EC...," he said.
The SIR process has triggered a political row in Bihar, with opposition parties alleging manipulation and irregularities ahead of the upcoming elections.
Meanwhile, several opposition MPs have submitted notices to move adjournment motions in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to discuss the issue.
In the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Manickam Tagore submitted a notice to move an adjournment motion to discuss the SIR and its "threat to democratic rights." In the Rajya Sabha, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh submitted a motion seeking discussion on the "constitutional and electoral implications" of the revision exercise.
Congress's Rajya Sabha MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh also gave a Suspension of Business Notice under Rule 267 to discuss concerns over the Election Commission's SIR process in Bihar ahead of the polls.
On Monday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said that Bihar has become the first state in the country to have all polling stations with fewer than 1,200 electors.
According to the ECI, 96.23 per cent of electors in Bihar have been covered under the SIR so far. However, 5.56 per cent of electors were not found at their registered addresses.
Bihar is scheduled to go to the polls later this year.