BJP Urges EC for 1-2 Phase Bihar Polls, Seeks Verification of Voter ID Photos of Women in Burqas

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday urged the Election Commission (EC) to conduct the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections in one or two phases and to ensure that the photos on voter ID cards of women wearing burqas are properly verified at polling stations.

Interestingly, on the issue of holding elections in fewer phases, the BJP found itself aligned with its main rival, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). However, BJP’s demand regarding identity verification for women in burqas was criticized as a political ploy.

After meeting with the EC team led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, state BJP president Dilip Jaiswal said:

“We have requested the Election Commission to conduct elections in one or two phases. There’s no need to stretch the process across multiple phases. Also, the identities of voters, particularly women wearing burqas, should be matched with their respective EPICs (Electors Photo Identity Cards) to ensure that only genuine voters exercise their franchise.”

The Election Commission, on a two-day visit to Bihar ahead of announcing poll dates, is holding consultations with representatives of recognized political parties.

The RJD delegation, led by Abhay Kushwaha, the party’s leader in the Lok Sabha, along with spokesperson Chittaranjan Gagan and Mukund Singh, also met the commission.

When asked about Jaiswal’s remark on burqa-clad voters, Kushwaha reacted sharply, calling it:

“A political conspiracy. A Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls was recently conducted. All voters will be issued new EPICs with updated photographs. Verifying voters’ identities is not a big issue. But the BJP is trying to push its agenda.”

However, Kushwaha admitted that like the BJP, the RJD had also requested the EC to limit the elections to two or fewer phases, citing the limited time available. Additionally, the RJD urged that elections be held after Chhath Puja, a major festival in Bihar celebrated six days after Diwali, which this year falls at the end of October.