Rahul Gandhi Kicks Off ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar today to Protest Alleged Vote Theft
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is set to launch his ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ from Sasaram, Bihar, today, marking the beginning of a 16-day march aimed at protesting alleged voter disenfranchisement and “systematic vote theft.” This ambitious yatra, organized under the banner of the INDIA bloc, will traverse 1,300 kilometers across Bihar, culminating in a massive rally in Patna on September 1.
The march is a direct response to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, which the Congress and its allies claim is being used to manipulate voter lists ahead of the state assembly elections. The yatra aims to rally public support and draw national attention to what the opposition describes as a “deliberate conspiracy to erase the voice of the poor, Dalits, backward classes, tribals, minorities, and marginalised citizens.” Senior RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and other prominent leaders from the INDIA alliance are expected to participate, signaling a united opposition front on this issue.
At a press briefing, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera declared, “This is not just a Yatra. It’s a people’s movement. The ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ will be a milestone in the history of democracy.” Khera sharply criticized the Election Commission of India, alleging collusion with the ruling BJP.
He asserted that it was only after the Supreme Court’s intervention that the poll body agreed to scrutinize the discrepancies in the voter lists. “This is not just vote theft—it’s identity theft,” Khera added, arguing that the alleged manipulation threatens to erase entire communities from the electoral process and deny them access to their democratic rights and government schemes.
This yatra follows Rahul Gandhi’s previous successful mass mobilization efforts like the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Congress is positioning this new initiative as another significant effort by Gandhi to connect with the public and challenge what they perceive as authoritarian tendencies, reinforcing the foundational principles of Indian democracy and universal suffrage.
