Chirag slams Opposition over SIR row, says NDA will win over 225 seats

Union Minister for Food Processing Industries and LJP chief Chirag Paswan on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Opposition for politicising the SIR, accusing them of creating “unfounded fear” despite raising concerns over voter list anomalies themselves.

“SIR is being turned into a political football. Isn’t it true that the same parties had earlier approached the EC complaining about voter list duplication and electoral fraud? Now that steps are being taken to address those issues, they are raising objections again,” he said.

The minister pointed out that the booth-level officers responsible for carrying out the verification are appointed by the EC, and questioned the credibility of the opposition’s criticism. “If you can’t trust the BLOs, then what is your Block Level Agent (BLA) doing? There is a structured provision for appeals at three levels. Even after that, you continue to spread fear among voters. This isn’t a new exercise, it has been carried out four times. The only change now is that it’s being done with the help of technology,” he added.

The ruling BJP and its allies have come under fire from the Opposition in Bihar and elsewhere for allegedly using the revision process to target minority communities and marginalised groups. However, Paswan dismissed these charges as baseless and politically motivated.

Taking aim at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Paswan accused him of deliberately disrupting parliamentary proceedings to avoid a real debate. “Rahul Gandhi is doing this knowingly. Let the House function, bring your questions and we will respond. The government has clearly said we are ready for a discussion on every issue. But you don’t want a debate; you want to create chaos,” Paswan said, calling on the Congress to engage in meaningful dialogue rather than obstruction.

Paswan also responded to poll strategist Prashant Kishor’s revival of the “Bihari First” slogan, a phrase Paswan himself had championed in the past. “No one can hijack an idea. I appreciate Prashant Kishor, he is playing an admirable role,” he said, downplaying any rivalry over the phrase while maintaining that the spirit behind it remains central to his political vision.

On the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, Paswan made a bold declaration about the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) prospects. “We are preparing to contest all 243 seats. But to achieve that, every alliance partner must feel like part of one family. I believe all NDA candidates, whether from BJP, JDU, or LJP, are mine. Together, we will win more than 225 out of 243 seats,” he said confidently.