TMC alleges NRC plot behind voter revision

New Delhi

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien on Saturday alleged that the Election Commission’s decision to conduct a special intensive revision of the electoral roll in Bihar is a “sinister move to bring NRC through the backdoor.” Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, O’Brien said the INDIA bloc would raise the issue both inside and outside Parliament. The Election Commission had announced the revision exercise on June 24, aimed at eliminating ineligible voters and ensuring that eligible citizens are added ahead of the upcoming elections. The last such revision in Bihar was conducted in 2003.

O’Brien questioned the timing of the move, suggesting political motives. “Why now? We know why. BJP’s internal survey in Bengal shows 46–49 seats for them. This is a desperate attempt to alter the outcome,” he claimed. The TMC leader said all INDIA bloc parties are united on the matter and will not wait for the Parliament session to begin. “We’ll act immediately. We are all on the same page. This cannot wait,” he stressed.u

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has also voiced concern, urging the Election Commission to withdraw the exercise. In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, CPI(M) leader Nilotpal Basu argued that placing the burden of inclusion or deletion on voters undermines the integrity of the process. The EC plans similar revisions in five other states—Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry—by the end of 2025, ahead of their legislative assembly elections in 2026.