Patna: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday demanded that all elections in the country be conducted through ballot papers, that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists be halted immediately, and that assembly elections held in the last two years be annulled, news agency PTI reported.

Source: PTI via DailyWorld

Kharge was speaking in Patna at a programme marking the 139th birth anniversary of Dr Shri Krishna Singh, Bihar's first chief minister. He honoured Singh's contribution to building modern Bihar, describing him as a leader who strengthened democracy, worked for weaker sections and played an important role in abolishing the zamindari system, according to The World Opinion's report of the event.

Source: The World Opinion

Alleging irregularities in the electoral process, Kharge claimed that governments were stolen through 'vote chori' in Bengal, Haryana, Bihar and Maharashtra. These are the Congress president's allegations; the BJP and the Election Commission have repeatedly denied claims of vote theft in earlier responses to similar charges.

He also attacked the BJP and the RSS, saying their ideology was undoing the legacy of Bihar stalwarts such as Rajendra Prasad, and questioned the government's record on prices, asking how a government that cannot make onions and bread affordable would usher in 'Amrit Kaal', PTI reported.

Reports of the event also said the programme briefly turned tense after a young man who described himself as a Congress supporter made remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Kharge's address, leading to a commotion and a scuffle involving some people at the venue, The World Opinion reported.

Kharge's demands add to the Opposition's continuing campaign against EVMs and the SIR exercise ahead of upcoming electoral contests. There was no immediate response from the Election Commission to Sunday's specific demands in the reports available at the time of publishing.