Tejashwi Yadav announces Bihar-wide protest against CEC, Centre

Patna, Oct 5 (IANS) Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav has announced a series of protests across Bihar as part of the INDIA alliance’s campaign against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government.

Yadav said Bihar, which he described as the birthplace of the INDIA alliance and a “cradle of democracy”, would once again become the centre of a major political movement.

Referring to the 2025 Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Yadav said: “It was from Bihar that the dismantling of democracy began.”

He added that, as citizens of Bihar who believe in democracy and the Constitution, “we will not allow democracy to be destroyed at any cost”.

Yadav said opposition parties had jointly decided their future course of action.

According to him, INDIA alliance constituents will organise protest marches across all blocks of Bihar on October 7, targeting CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

He said the opposition parties would subsequently intensify the agitation on October 8, when Mahagathbandhan constituents would stage sit-ins at district headquarters across the state.

A separate march to the Governor’s House has also been planned in Patna on the same day.

“I will be present in Patna myself, alongside MLAs, MLCs and MPs. We will raise our voices against the way votes were looted; this amounts to the murder of democracy, which will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” Yadav said.

The INDIA bloc has been campaigning against the Election Commission over its handling of electoral roll revision and has demanded action against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

The opposition alliance has also announced a wider protest programme over what it describes as irregularities in the electoral process.

An INDIA alliance meeting was held in New Delhi on September 30, with Tejashwi Yadav among the leaders participating in discussions on the opposition’s response to the Election Commission.

The meeting focused on the bloc’s campaign against alleged electoral irregularities and its demand for action against Gyanesh Kumar.

The opposition parties subsequently announced plans for a broader movement targeting the Centre and the Election Commission.

The INDIA bloc’s campaign has also included protests in Bihar.

On October 2, Grand Alliance constituents in the state participated in programmes demanding the resignation of the CEC and opposing the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

--IANS

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