By Kavita Sharma.
Photo Credit: The Suncity News.
Patna, October 7, 2026: Activists of Mahagathbandhan constituents, including the RJD, CPI(ML) and CPI, staged a protest at Income Tax Golambar in Patna against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
During the demonstration, protesters raised slogans against the Election Commission and the central government and burned effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
A key demand raised during the protest was the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar. Opposition leaders alleged that the SIR exercise could lead to large-scale deletion of names from electoral rolls and potentially affect voters from economically weaker, Dalit and other marginalized communities.
RJD leader Ranjeet Kumar said irregularities in electoral rolls would be a serious matter for the democratic process.
He said opposition parties were raising the issue through protests in Patna and other parts of the country.
Mahagathbandhan raises ‘Vote Theft’ allegations:
Mahagathbandhan leaders also stepped up their criticism of the government over the electoral process in Bihar.
Some protesters alleged that “vote theft” had taken place and questioned the legitimacy of political developments that followed.
These are political allegations made by opposition leaders and do not constitute independent verification of electoral manipulation.
Former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was also targeted during the demonstration, with some protesters demanding action against him over allegations related to the electoral process.
Mahagathbandhan leaders questioned the BJP’s political relationship with Nitish Kumar and asked why BJP leaders were defending him when, according to them, questions were being raised about the Election Commission and the SIR exercise.
Mahagathbandhan’s ally CPI calls for wider agitation:
Chandravanshi said any alleged interference with voters’ rights was a serious concern and demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
He alleged that the names of poor and Dalit voters were being removed from electoral rolls across the country and would continue raising the issue.
He called for an impartial inquiry into the allegations and said the agitation would be expanded in the coming days.
The protesters also demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
The Mahagathbandhan parties said they would continue regarding the SIR exercise and electoral rolls.
The opposition has maintained that the issue concerns voting rights and democratic participation, while the allegations surrounding voter-list manipulation remain contested and subject to the electoral authorities’ processes and any judicial or independent scrutiny.
Also Read: Tejashwi Yadav announces statewide protests against CEC Gyanesh Kumar and ECI over SIR.
EOM.
