PATNA, July 8 -- Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha and prominent Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be in Patna on Wednesday to add strength to Bihar bandh called by the Opposition parties, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress and the Left constituents, against the Election Commission of India's (ECI) ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. Leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, or the Grand Alliance as it is known in Bihar, have given a call for state-wide protests, alleging the SIR's stringent documentation requirements and tight July 25 deadline that risk disenfranchising millions, particularly marginalised communities like Muslims, Dalits and migrant workers. A former Youth Congress leader, who mainly coordinates the LoP's event in the state, Manjeet Anand Sahu, told HT that Rahul Gandhi is likely to lead the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee's (BPCC) march on foot to protest the ECI's bid and mobilise people's support for the cause. "He is also likely to meet the family of a slain 'BJP leader' and leading industrialist Gopal Khemka, who was shot dead by an unidentified assailant on the night of July 4," added Sahu. Opposition parties in Bihar have vociferously condemned the ECI's SIR, launched on June 24, ahead of the October-November Assembly polls. RJD's Tejashwi Prasad Yadav dubbed it 'votebandi', comparing it to demonetisation, while Congress's Mallikarjun Kharge accused the BJP of orchestrating voter suppression. Earlier on Sunday, BPCC president Rajesh Kumar accused the ECI of orchestrating a 'deliberate conspiracy' through its latest advertisement on voter list revision for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, which was later withdrawn. "The ECI seems to be leaving no stone unturned to favour the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) coalition in the upcoming state elections," added the BPCC president. The SIR, initiated on June 24, faces significant challenges due to strict verification norms and the state's 7.89 crore voter base. Requiring proof of birth and residency, particularly for 2.93 crore voters not on the 2003 rolls, the process is hindered by low literacy, limited document availability and the exclusion of common IDs like Aadhaar. Rural voters, migrants, and marginalized groups struggle with complex forms and tight deadlines, risking disenfranchisement. As on July 6, 1.69 crore enumeration forms (21.46%) have been submitted, with 23.9 lakh documents uploaded, reflecting slow progress. The July 25 deadline, coupled with inadequate awareness and logistical constraints for 77,895 booth level officers and 4 lakh volunteers, exacerbates the challenge, potentially excluding millions from the voter list ahead of the October-November Assembly polls. Prompted by the complications in updating the electoral rolls with authentic documents within a strict timeframe, many senior leaders including RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha, TMC's Mahua Moitra, and NGOs like ADR and PUCL have filed petitions in the Supreme Court to stop the SIR, dubbing it as unconstitutional. The SC is slated to hear the petitions on July 10. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday urged the Election Commission to put on hold the ongoing special intensive revision of electoral rolls till the assembly elections in Bihar. The leader of the opposition in the state assembly made the demand at a press conference in Patna in the presence of the INDIA bloc partners. "This exercise should be put on hold till elections. The EC will do well to have a word with its booth-level officers who are facing the ire of voters while collecting data," claimed Yadav, the former deputy CM. On the other hand, the ECI remains steadfast, asserting no change in its June 24 guidelines. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar defended the SIR, emphasizing its aim to ensure only eligible voters remain on the rolls. Despite easing rules to allow document submission post-July 25 during the claims period, the opposition claims this compounds voter confusion. Meanwhile, the murder of a prominent businessman Khemka continues to roil Bihar's political landscape ahead of the Assembly polls. The police have detained a suspect who audaciously attended Khemka's funeral with a garland, while investigations point to a possible land dispute and links to jailed gangster Ajay Verma. Opposition leaders, including RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and Congress's Rahul Gandhi, have intensified attacks, labelling Bihar 'India's crime capital' and accusing the Nitish Kumar-BJP government of fostering 'goondaraj' Even NDA allies like Chirag Paswan and JD(U)'s Neeraj Kumar admitted policing lapses, promising swift action. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ordered a special investigation team (SIT) probe, vowing justice. The case, echoing the 2018 murder of Khemka's son, has amplified concerns over law and order, with the opposition leveraging it to challenge the NDA's governance narrative....