RJD targets EC & BJP over ‘SIR model’, alleges mandate theft

Patna: Amid exit polls pointing to a “close contest” between the BJP-led alliance and the ruling TMC in West Bengal, the RJD, headed by Lalu Prasad, on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission (EC), alleging the “SIR model is a tactic of stealing the mandate”.

The party claimed the same approach was used in Bihar and a similar conspiracy has now been hatched in Bengal.In a statement, the RJD said the BJP has been attempting to win elections through the “back door” with the help of the EC after being rejected by the masses. “As part of a well-planned conspiracy, the names of poor, Dalit, backward, minority and voters who were vocal against the govt were deleted during SIR in Bihar.

The present NDA govt in Bihar came to power not with the support of the people, but through the Election Commission’s ‘SIR’ conspiracy and the blatant theft of the mandate.

This govt is completely illegitimate,” RJD chief spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav said.Alleging similar “tactics” were used in Bengal, Shakti Singh Yadav charged the EC with “becoming a player of the ruling NDA, instead of acting as a referee”. “The fall of democracy is dead certain when the Election Commission itself, instead of acting as a referee, becomes a ‘player’ for the ruling party,” Shakti said, adding people have understood the “vote robbery” and would “take a harsh action in the future”.

Stating “SIR” has become a new weapon for the BJP to win elections, the RJD said, “When the masses reject the BJP, they seek to win elections by rigging the voter list through the back door, using the Election Commission.”Reacting sharply, the BJP said such statements indicate it is poised to form the govt in Bengal. “The message is clear. When they appear to be losing elections, they start hurling allegations at their rivals,” BJP state spokesperson Manoj Sharma said.The RJD’s remarks came after political activist Yogendra Yadav, in a video statement, accused the poll body of “telling blatant lies to the masses over the issue of SIR”. “The EC has told blatant lies if the guidelines for conducting SIR in 2003 are any indication,” Yogendra said. He added, “No enumeration form was filled up in 2003, no documents were sought except in cases of discrepancies, and no citizenship verification was conducted.

Para 32 clearly stated it is not the job of enumerators to verify citizenship.”