Mon Aug 18 16:58:21 UTC 2025: Here’s a summarized version of the text rewritten as a news article, keeping an Indian perspective in mind:
**Headline: “INDIA Bloc Vows Action Against Election Commission Over Alleged Voter Roll Manipulations in Bihar”**
**Aurangabad, Bihar -** The political climate in Bihar is heating up ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, with the INDIA bloc intensifying its allegations of voter roll manipulation. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, during his ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ (Voter Rights March) in Aurangabad district, launched a scathing attack on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, a day after the CEC demanded an affidavit from Gandhi regarding his claims of voter roll fraud in Karnataka.
“The entire country will ask for an affidavit from the Election Commission of India,” Gandhi declared, vowing that the INDIA bloc, if brought to power, would take strict action against officials found to be compromising the integrity of the electoral process. He accused the Election Commission of facilitating “vote theft,” particularly targeting vulnerable sections of society, and urged the people of Bihar to be vigilant against such practices. He alluded to a new method of vote theft, “SIR.”
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav echoed Gandhi’s sentiments, directly accusing CEC Gyanesh Kumar of being a BJP member and acting on instructions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office. Yadav urged voters to support the Grand Alliance to oust the BJP and ensure a fair election. He credited Mr. Gandhi with “destroying” the alleged “design of the BJP” to remove the names of the voters from the draft rolls.
Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders, including CPI (ML) leader Dipankar Bhattacharya and Vikassheel Insaan Party chief Mukesh Sahani, interacted with voters whose names had been allegedly removed from the electoral rolls despite having voted in previous elections. The INDIA bloc is framing the issue as a fight for the rights of the poor, emphasizing that such alleged disenfranchisement disproportionately affects marginalized communities. The leaders resumed their march from Kutuma in Aurangabad district after visiting the Sun Temple in Deo. Supporters rallied with slogans against SIR, the poll body, Mr. Modi and the BJP.
The controversy comes as the Election Commission is under increased scrutiny regarding its independence and impartiality. Opposition parties have long alleged biases in the electoral process, and these latest accusations are likely to further fuel those concerns, particularly as the nation gears up for crucial state elections.
First Piper 