I want Rahul to be next PM: Jitan Manjhi

Agencies

March 13, 2019

Patna, Mar 13: Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Wednesday said he was in favour of Congress president Rahul Gandhi becoming the next prime minister in the event of opposition "Mahagathbandhan" coming to power after the Lok Sabha polls.

Before leaving for New Delhi, where he is scheduled to take part in deliberations on seat-sharing among the constituents of Bihar Grand Alliance, the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) president dismissed reports that his party was likely to get only "one or two" seats in the state, which has 40 Lok Sabha constituencies.

"The NDA has made it clear that it would contest the polls with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its face. The Mahagathbandhan or the UPA, call it by whatever name, made no such announcement since there is a general consensus that it should be decided after polls.

"This has not been without precedence. Elections are often fought without parties or alliances projecting a face. But if you ask me about my personal opinion, I feel that Rahul Gandhi should take the top job," Manjhi told reporters here.

His statement could be seen as a move to placate the Congress, after having ruffled many feathers in the party with his recent claim that his four-year-old outfit had a following greater than that of the national party and, as such, deserved to get a share in the Lok Sabha polls.

The former Bihar chief minister, however, dismissed reports which have suggested that his party was unlikely to get more than two seats, saying "all top leaders of the Mahagathbandhan are yet to sit across the table. Speculations at this stage are no better than a wild guess".

"This is the first time when we will discuss our requirements before the top leadership of the Congress. I do not know whether Rahul Gandhi will be present at any of the meetings. Maybe he will. If not, AICC in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil will certainly be there," Manjhi said.

Talking about his party's stand if offered a share that was less than expected, he replied, "We will work out a compromise formula."

Asked about his possibility of contesting a Lok Sabha seat, he evaded the question, maintaining that "once it becomes clear which of the seats the respective parties are going to get, the decision on candidates will follow".

Speculations have been rife that Manjhi was keen on contesting the Gaya Lok Sabha seat, from where he had fought as a candidate of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) in 2014, but finished third.

There have also been reports that he was being persuaded to contest from Jamui, another reserved seat, which is at present held by Lok Janshakti Party's heir apparent Chirag Paswan.

Polling for the general elections will be held in Bihar in seven phases, starting from April 11 to May 19.

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Over 58 lakh names dropped from draft voter list in Bengal ahead of polls

News Network

December 16,2025

The deletion of over 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sparked widespread concern and is likely to deepen political tensions in the poll-bound state.

According to the Election Commission, the revision exercise has identified 24 lakh voters as deceased, 19 lakh as relocated, 12 lakh as missing, and 1.3 lakh as duplicate entries. The draft list, published after the completion of the first phase of SIR, aims to remove errors and duplication from the electoral rolls.

However, the scale of deletions has raised fears that a large number of eligible voters may have been wrongly excluded. The Election Commission has said that individuals whose names are missing can file objections and seek corrections. The final voter list is scheduled to be published in February next year, after which the Assembly election announcement is expected. Notably, the last Special Intensive Revision in Bengal was conducted in 2002.

The development has intensified the political row over the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the exercise, accusing the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters ahead of the elections.

Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar earlier this month, Banerjee urged people to protest if their names were removed from the voter list, alleging intimidation during elections and warning of serious consequences if voting rights were taken away.

The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the revision and accused the Trinamool Congress of politicising the issue to protect what it claims is an illegal voter base. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the ruling party fears losing power due to the removal of deceased, fake, and illegal voters.

The controversy comes amid earlier allegations by the Trinamool Congress that excessive work pressure during the SIR led to the deaths by suicide of some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), for which the party blamed the Election Commission. With the draft list now out, another round of political confrontation appears imminent.

As objections begin to be filed, the focus will be on whether the correction mechanism is accessible, transparent, and timely—critical factors in ensuring that no eligible voter is denied their democratic right ahead of a crucial election.

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