Vaishali: A state-wide bandh in Bihar on July 9 saw dramatic and unconventional protests by Rashtriya Janata Dal leaders and supporters against the government’s voter list revision. The bandh, called by the India Alliance, led to major road blockades in several districts, causing heavy disruption to daily life.
In Hajipur, RJD MLA Mukesh Roshan was seen playing cricket on the highway to register his protest, hitting a four and a six as supporters cheered. In Bhagwanpur, party workers tied a buffalo to the road, effectively blocking traffic. Meanwhile, former MLC Subodh Rai lay down on a mat spread across the road and set fire nearby to halt vehicles.
Traffic was completely paralysed on key routes such as the Patna-Hajipur Gandhi Setu and Hajipur-Muzaffarpur road, leaving commuters stranded for hours. Protesters burnt tyres, put up tents, and raised slogans like “votebandi nahi chalegi” and “gareeb virodhi sarkar murdabad”. However, ambulances and school buses were exempted from the blockade, according to Mukesh Roshan. “This bandh is to protect democracy and citizenship because the revision process is an attack on the constitutional rights of the poor,” he said.
RJD leader Kedar Yadav accused the Election Commission of working as an “agent of BJP” by not conducting elections based on the 2024 voter rolls. The bandh received support from trade unions, Imarat-e-Sharia, and MP Pappu Yadav.
