Patna: CPI(ML) has decided to organise a meeting here on Oct 1 of voters from 10 assembly constituencies who, according to the party, were declared dead and deleted from the electoral rolls during Special Intensive Revision (SIR) conducted in Bihar last year and subsequently could not vote in the state assembly elections.The party said the meeting, to be held at IMA Hall, was aimed at highlighting what it termed arbitrary functioning by chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar in Election Commission.CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya alleged that Kumar took decisions unilaterally, bypassing the two other election commissioners, despite the three-member commission taking decisions through consensus or majority.“There is no logic in the continuance of Gyanesh Kumar at the post of CEC. He should resign in the light of fresh facts that are in the public domain on the working of the three-member Election Commission, where he used to take decisions unilaterally, bypassing the two other election commissioners,” Bhattacharya told reporters here on Sunday.Bhattacharya said the opposition had repeatedly alleged that Election Commission was working in league with BJP. Referring to recent reports and ECI’s response, he claimed that they had provided further support to the opposition’s allegations. CPI(ML) had also issued a statement on Sept 23 alleging disagreements within EC and demanding action against CEC.The party also demanded cancellation of the electoral rolls prepared following SIR, annulment of the revision exercise and cancellation of the assembly elections held after SIR.CPI(ML) functionary Pervej said preparations were underway for the meeting. “The persons who were declared dead and deprived of voting in the 2025 state assembly elections would be coming from 10 assembly constituencies that our party had contested,” he said on the phone from Jehanabad.
