New Delhi: After Bihar results were announced, the Opposition started questioning the role of ECI and SIR and blamed ECI for its electoral defeat. Congress leader Pawan Khera termed the Bihar elections as a fight between the Opposition and ECI.

"I am not even talking about parties. I am talking about a direct, straight contest between CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the people of Bihar," Khera told media persons in Delhi.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, who campaigned for INDIA bloc candidates, blamed SIR for the Opposition's debacle. "The game SIR played in Bihar will no longer be possible in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, UP and other places because this electoral conspiracy has been exposed. From now, we will not let them play this game. Like CCTV, our 'PPTV' meaning 'PDA Sentinel' will stay vigilant and thwart BJP's intentions. BJP is not a party, it is deceit," Yadav posted on X.

NDA leaders, however, rejected the allegations and termed the mandate as a stamp of approval on SIR. "Every single vote of the people of Bihar is a symbol of faith in the Modi government's policy against infiltrators who play with India's security and resources and their sympathisers. The public has given a befitting reply to those who protect infiltrators for the sake of vote banks," Union home minister Amit Shah posted on X. "The people of Bihar have conveyed the mood of the entire country that the purification of the voter list is mandatory and there is no place for politics against it. That is why, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, Congress has today reached the last rung in Bihar."

LJP(RV) leader and Union minister Chirag Paswan also rejected the 'vote chori' allegation of Congress. "This victory has put a full stop on misconceptions that the Opposition tried to perpetrate, whether it was the SIR issue or 'vote chori' allegations. Rahul Gandhi frequently made personal comments on PM Modi. Congress never understood that every time they used indecent language, they were moving towards self-harm," Paswan told ET.