What’s happening in Bihar is a template for how elections will be conducted across India: Dipankar

Published on July 23, 2025. In this episode of Frontline Conversations, CPI(ML) Liberation leader Dipankar talks about major changes in India’s election process, starting with Bihar. Dipankar criticises what he calls the “biggest constitutional attack” in decades, pointing to voter exclusion and the politicisation of the Election Commission. With over 40 years of grassroots work, Dipankar explains how changes to voter lists, centralised control, and growing lawlessness are hurting Indian democracy and why Bihar may be the first to push back.He also talks about the INDIA alliance, Nitish Kumar’s decline, the BJP’s plans in Bihar, and the Left’s strong local presence. Context As Bihar prepares for Assembly Election later this year, a contentious debate has been triggered over the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which is a pilot project that critics fear could disenfranchise millions of the State's most vulnerable citizens. Dipankar frames this as part of a broader redesign of democracy under the Modi government. Chapters: 00:00 – Concerns over EC’s pilot project in Bihar 01:00 – CPI(ML)’s work on the ground 01:55 – What’s really happening in Bihar 04:17 – Why BJP is out of power in Bihar 06:37 – Redesigning Indian democracy 08:35 – The ideology behind the redesign 09:26 – Challenges for the Left in Bihar 10:18 – Migration and Bihar’s labour crisis 11:52 – Bihar polls and BJP’s gameplan 13:21 – BJP’s South Bihar focus 14:15 – Chirag Paswan and Bihar politics 16:55 – Why Bihar’s core issues are ignored 17:44 – RJD and the shape of the opposition 19:03 – Inside Bihar’s political alliances 20:09 – Can the opposition unite? 22:24 – Structural flaws in the Election Commission 24:16 – What Bihar’s Muslims are saying 26:07 – 40 years of CPI(ML) in Bihar 27:51 – Bihar’s youth and their aspirations 29:51 – AIMIM’s role in the State 31:34 – Security lapses in Bihar 33:47 – How Kashmir shapes India’s foreign policy 36:41 – Closing thoughts Highlights: -Why Bihar’s electoral roll revision is more than a bureaucratic update -The link between digital exclusion and disenfranchisement -Election Commission’s changing role and centralisation of power -Bihar’s legacy of democratic resistance and why that matters now -The future of Nitish Kumar, Chirag Paswan, and BJP’s Bihar strategy -The challenges and potential of the INDIA alliance -India’s silence on Gaza and the cost of aligning with Netanyahu and Trump Perfect for: -Political observers and students of Indian democracy -Journalists, policy analysts, and human rights defenders -Viewers interested in federalism, elections, and social justice Credits: Host: Saba Naqvi Produced by Vitasta Kaul and Vedaant Lakhera Editor: Razal Pareed Subscribe to Frontline: https://frontline.thehindu.com/online... Follow us on: Facebook - / frontlineindia Twitter - / frontline_india Instagram - / frontline.magazine LinkedIn - / frontline-magazine-b12921295