Lalu Prasad accuses NDA govt of undermining Constitution amid voter list revision row in Bihar

Patna, July 25 (IANS) Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, on Friday, launched a political attack on the NDA government, accusing it of attempting to "kill democracy" and undermine the Constitution through the ongoing special voter list revision being conducted by the Election Commission in Bihar ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

Taking to social media platform X, Lalu Prasad shared a poster depicting the Constitution's principle that voters choose the government, contrasted with an image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, with a caption suggesting that the government now wants to choose its voters.

"The killers of democracy now want to end Baba Saheb's Constitution by choosing voters of their choice," the RJD Chief wrote, alleging that democracy and the Constitution are under threat.

The special voter list revision by the Election Commission has become a major flashpoint in Bihar politics, with the opposition targeting the Central and Bihar government, accusing them of attempting to delete the names of poor voters from the rolls to manipulate the upcoming elections.

The monsoon session of the Bihar Legislature, which concluded on Friday, was dominated by the opposition's protests, with MLAs from the RJD, Congress, and Left parties attending the Assembly and Legislative Council wearing black clothes throughout the five-day session, demanding a discussion on the voter list revision.

On the fourth day of the Assembly session, the situation escalated inside the Assembly with heated exchanges, abuse, and a scuffle between ruling and opposition MLAs, forcing Marshals to intervene to restore order.

The Opposition has also raised the issue in Parliament, accusing the state government and the Election Commission of collusion, while the ruling NDA has dismissed the allegations saying that the voter list revision is a routine exercise carried out to ensure electoral integrity.

As Bihar gears up for Assembly elections, the issue of voter list revision has emerged as a significant political battleground, with the Opposition signalling it will continue its campaign on the ground and within the House in the coming days.

--IANS

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