'ECI functioning as B-team of BJP': Jairam Ramesh claims irregularities in final voter list in Bihar

New Delhi [India], October 4 (ANI): Congress' General Secretary in charge of Communications, Jairam Ramesh, on Saturday claimed irregularities in the final electoral roll after the Special Intensive Revision of the list in Bihar.
Sharing a media report, Ramesh alleged that 247 voters were found in a single household, and a person's name appears three times on the same booth.
Alleging that the SIR was orchestrated at the behest of the ruling regime, he called the Election Commission the BJP's "B-team".
Sharing an X post, the Congress leader wrote, "The Election Commission has orchestrated the entire SIR drama at the behest of the BJP. Even the claims of reforms by the Election Commission in the final SIR are proving to be false. Reports are coming in from all regions of Bihar that confirm the sole purpose of the entire process is to provide political advantage to the BJP and its allied parties."
"Even after the SIR process, numerous instances of irregularities in the final list indicate that the Election Commission has no regard for the clear orders of the Supreme Court. Functioning as the B-team of the BJP, the Election Commission has descended into complete shamelessness," he added.
Further, Jairam Ramesh demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's reply over the alleged irregularities.
He wrote, "Will Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar explain how 247 voters were found in a single household and why one person's name appears 3-3 times on the same booth? How are such massive irregularities surfacing in the final voter list? Or will they, as before, maintain their silence?"
As about 47 lakh voters' names were deleted as compared to the list prior to the SIR exercise, Ramesh said that this number exceeds the victory margin from the previous elections.
He wrote, "The concerning aspect is that in some assembly constituencies, the number of voters' names being deleted exceeds the victory margin from the previous elections. We have been saying since day one that India's Election Commission belongs to the entire country and should not appear like a puppet of the ruling party."
"The current lax functioning and politically biased policies of the Election Commission are adversely affecting India's democracy and our international image. We are reiterating once again that instead of rushing to complete the SIR process initiated to assist the BJP, the Election Commission should work impartially," the Congress leader added.
This comes after the Election Commission of India (ECI) published the final electoral roll for the Bihar assembly elections following the completion of the SIR exercise. The total number of electors in the final list stands at 7.42 crore, while there were 7.89 crore electors as of June 24 this year.
An Election Commission press release stated that 65 lakh voters were removed from the draft list, and the number of electors in the draft list as of August 1, 2025, stood at 7.24 crore.
It stated that ineligible electors removed from the draft list stood at 3.66 lakh, while 21.53 lakh eligible electors were added to the draft list (Form 6), taking the total to 7.42 crore voters. (ANI)