Patna: With the draft proposals of the Delimitation Commission snowballing into a major controversy, RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) chief and Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav today (Oct 8, 2004) dared the Opposition NDA (National Democratic Alliance) to register a case against him and the State Election Commissioner if it felt that the boundaries of Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar were being altered at their behest.

"I challenge the NDA to register a case against me and State Election Commissioner D P Maheshwari if it feels that the boundaries of the constituencies are being redemarcated at our behest. The NDA should be ashamed for pointing the accusing finger at a constitutional institution headed by a retired Supreme Court judge," Laloo told reporters.

The Commission has come in for sharp criticism from both the ruling Congress and the Opposition JD-U (Janata Dal-United) for alleged irregularities in seeking to alter the boundaries of almost all the 243 assembly and 40 Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar ignoring their demographic structure.

Senior JD-U leader and an associate member of the Commission, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, MP, had yesterday (Oct 7, 2004) alleged that the boundaries of the Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies were being altered at the behest of D P Maheshwari, the State Election Commissioner to curry favour with the ruling establishment and demanded his removal.

All Election Commission guidelines pertaining to administrative, geographical contiguity and ground reality have been flouted to pave the way for perpetuation of the casteist politics of RJD president Laloo Prasad Yadav, Singh charged while addressing a press conference.