12 Votes Could Tilt the Balance in Bihar Assembly Elections

Quick Summary:

• The Opposition in Bihar is campaigning against the ongoing Special intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, voicing concerns over voter deletions.
• RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav stated that even a 1% deletion could impact results significantly, disenfranchising around 7.9 lakh voters statewide or approximately 3,251 per constituency.
• In the 2020 Assembly election across Bihar’s 243 seats, margins of victory were razor-thin in dozens of constituencies:

– Margins were under 3,000 votes in 35 seats.
– Margins were less than 5,000 votes in another 52 seats.
– Individual examples include wins and losses by as few as 12 votes for RJD’s Shakti Singh yadav in Hilsa and 189 votes for RJD candidate Avinash manglam’s narrow win against BSP competition at Ramgarh.

• political expert Sanjay Kumar highlighted the potential disruptive role of prashant Kishor’s Jan suraaj party among voters if deletion controversies persist and noted Kishor’s appeal to youth.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

The Opposition’s concerns about electoral roll revisions reflect broader anxiety stemming from past experiences with tight election margins. Given that results from previous polls often hinged on differences smaller than a few thousand-or even hundreds-of ballots per constituency, changes to voter lists could exert ample influence on outcomes.

Both ruling and opposition parties should regard this issue with urgency but maintain clarity to ensure institutional trust via impartial oversight mechanisms. Concurrently, growing support for Prashant Kishor shows how third-party movements can challenge established entities when younger demographics see them as authentic alternatives-a dynamic likely amplified if disenfranchisement fears escalate.

Electoral integrity remains paramount as contested processes risk damaging faith not only within Bihar but nationally regarding India’s democratic framework-a crucial cornerstone amid transformative political developments across states.

Read more: The Hindu