Patna (Bihar) [India], September 23 : Launching a blistering attack on the Centre, Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday targeted the Election Commission of India (ECI) and demanded that fresh elections be conducted in Bihar and West Bengal, alleging that the democratic mandates in both states were stolen through widespread electoral fraud and institutional manipulation.
This comes after a report by the Indian Express that said that decisions taken on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process were objected to by two of the three Election Commissioners.
According to the report, "Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected at least 14 times over the last 10 months to decisions taken and orders issued without their knowledge."
Terming the Election Commission of India (ECI) an extension of the ruling party, the former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister claimed that recent assembly election results in Bihar and West Bengal were heavily manipulated, demanding that fresh elections be conducted in both states.
Addressing the reporters here, Yadav said, "The disclosures made in recent reports are sensational. Over the past 10 months, we have submitted multiple complaints to the Election Commission. Questions have been raised within the commission by other Election Commissioners, yet Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar remains silent. The Commission is merely issuing press releases dictated by PM Modi and Amit Shah."
Questioning recent changes in election rules, Yadav alleged deliberate attempts to obstruct legal recourse. "Earlier, the time frame for preserving voting and counting records to challenge an election was one year. It has now been drastically reduced to just 45 days. If parties are deprived of evidence within weeks, how can anyone approach the courts? This is a calculated move to block judicial scrutiny," he said.
The RJD leader also raised concerns over the revised appointment process for Election Commissioners, stating, "Under the previous framework established by the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) was part of the selection panel. The government amended the law to replace the CJI with a Union Cabinet Minister. In 1995, the Supreme Court ruled that the Election Commission is a multi-member body where all commissioners are equal, and the CEC is not superior. Today, the entire balance has been compromised."
Levelling direct allegations of electoral fraud, Tejashwi Yadav claimed that the opposition's defeats were engineered rather than reflective of the popular mandate.
"The opposition did not lose elections on the ground; the results were orchestrated by PM Modi and Amit Shah. In 2020, we were defeated through manipulation, and the same script was executed in 2025. Voter lists were purged, money was distributed, and counting was manipulated. The electoral outcomes in Bihar and Bengal are fraudulent, and we demand that fresh, transparent elections be held," Yadav said.
Further hitting out at central agencies, Yadav remarked, "Central investigative agencies such as the CBI, ED, Income Tax, and now even the Election Commission have effectively become frontal cells of the BJP. The Commission has failed to provide straightforward answers to our concerns and is offering vague explanations."
Issuing a warning about public discontent, Yadav questioned, "By subverting the democratic will of the people, do these leaders want a Bangladesh-like situation and mass unrest in our country?" He asserted that the RJD would continue its agitation against the alleged subversion of democracy "from the streets to the Parliament." 
Meanwhile, responding to the Express' report, the Election Commission, in a statement, said that all orders by the body carry full legal sanction and any queries raised by members at the stage of drafting procedures were standard practice.
“The ECI is a constitutional body that functions under the strict mandate of Article 324 of the Constitution, statutory rules and established institutional conventions. The Commission operates as a multi-member constitutional body. Written notes, observations, technical suggestions and internal checks-and-balances are standard, ongoing practices designed to ensure complete transparency, legal compliance and operational rigour. All actions of ECI have been in accordance of laws and instructions of the Commission. All official orders, decisions and administrative directions issued by the Commission carry full legal sanctions and follow established statutory procedures... Any operational queries or inputs raised by Commission members during draft stages are part of standard administrative practice aimed at safeguarding voter rights. The suggestions given by the Commissioners were for further improving the electoral processes," it said.
The Commission further said that differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberation in any institution.