Patna: Bihar erupted in protest on Tuesday as Mahagathbandhan allies, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, Left parties, and others, launched a massive agitation against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the Centre’s new labour code. While the protests swept through multiple districts early in the morning, senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav are scheduled to join the demonstrations later in the day.
Across the state, RJD workers and supporters took to the streets in what was dubbed a “chakka jam” (road blockade). In Hajipur, demonstrators blocked the Gandhi Setu bridge with burning tyres. In Sonpur, the blockade was led by RJD MLA Mukesh Roshan, with a visible presence of security forces at the site. Meanwhile, in Jehanabad, the RJD’s student wing obstructed railway tracks, bringing train traffic to a halt.
The protest comes ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections and aligns with the Bharat Bandh called by 10 central trade unions, who are demanding a guaranteed minimum wage and opposing the new labour code.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav are also expected to join the Patna leg of the protest march. The two leaders will march from the Income Tax office at Golambar to the Election Commission office, in what is being seen as a symbolic confrontation against the central poll body’s decision.
The opposition leaders have alleged that the SIR process is being implemented without proper awareness, risking large-scale disenfranchisement. They argue that the move, combined with the contentious labour reforms, reflects the central government’s disregard for democratic and workers’ rights.Workers from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and CPM burnt tyres and blocked roads in support of the Bihar Bandh on NH-30 in Patna’s Maner.
The protests have disrupted normal life in several districts, with road traffic halted and train services affected. Police have been deployed in large numbers in sensitive areas, although no major violence has been reported so far.
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