Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of withholding critical voter turnout data from the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections. Addressing a press briefing late Monday evening, Yadav questioned the commission’s delay in releasing gender- and age-wise turnout statistics, claiming it raises “serious concerns about transparency.”
He alleged that the delay might be an attempt to manipulate perception ahead of the second phase of polling, which is taking place today. “The people of Bihar deserve to know how many voted and from which demographic. Keeping this data hidden damages faith in the system,” Yadav said.
The ruling alliance quickly dismissed his allegations. A senior party spokesperson countered that the Election Commission was following standard protocol and that the opposition’s comments reflected anxiety about possible defeat. Officials from the ECI stated that data compilation across thousands of polling stations is time-consuming and that verified figures would be made public soon.
Political analysts said the episode highlights increasing friction between major parties as the race narrows ahead of the results. With turnout in the first phase reportedly crossing 64 percent, the dispute adds a fresh political twist to the election narrative.
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