Manoj Jha interview: ‘Vacate throne vote thief’ slogan echoing in Bihar

RJD leader and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha has said that a tremendous enthusiasm has been seen among people wherever the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ led by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has travelled.

In an exclusive interview with The Federal’s correspondent Lalit Rai, Jha said now the slogan of ‘Vote chor gaddi chhode,’ (vacate the throne vote thief) first raised in the Lok Sabha for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has spread to the streets of Bihar, with even nine to 10-year-olds chanting it. This, he said, is not merely a win for the RJD, the Congress, or the Left, but a triumph of the people in a democracy.

Also read: ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ ground report: SIR issue dominates in Bihar; what voters say

“Sometimes in history, a slogan becomes an inseparable part of public sentiment — that, you could say, is the people’s victory,” Jha said.

“They have decided that this pattern will not continue,” he added.

‘EC arrogant, stubborn’

Taking a strong stand against the Election Commission (EC)’s special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Jha criticised the commission for initiating the process without consulting political parties. “We approached the EC only to realise its stubborn and arrogant stance,” he said.

He noted that even those in Bihar who are not traditional supporters of the Grand Alliance are beginning to sense something suspicious about the voter list revision process.

‘EC defied SC orders’

He added that even after they decided to move the Supreme Court, the commission continued with its rigid approach. “We argued that Aadhaar has the widest penetration, but the EC dismissed it. The Supreme Court gave directions twice, yet they refused to comply,” he said. “Now, after a third intervention, the top court had to step in again, saying things were not being done properly. The 65 lakh deletions were revealed by the commission itself,” he pointed out.

Also read: Rahul, Tejashwi ride motorcycles during ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar

“We demanded a classified breakdown of the data — what were the reasons behind these deletions? Eventually, the Supreme Court had to issue directives to the Election Commission.”

Voter list irregularities, no proof of infiltrators

Jha alleged that even the forms submitted by Booth Level Agents (BLAs), duly signed by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), are not showing up on the EC’s dashboard.

“When voters try to contact BLOs in villages, they’re told to come back later because they’re ‘too busy today’,” he said.

Speaking on the issue of illegal infiltrators, he said, “Not a single case of Bangladeshi or Rohingya infiltrators has come to light.” He accused the prime minister of lowering the dignity of the Red Fort platform by raising the infiltration issue.

Also read: Rahul in Bihar: Will not allow NDA to steal votes of the poor through SIR

“Their government has been in power for 11 years. In such a situation, Home Minister Amit Shah should resign,” he said.

Voter Adhikar Yatra

Jha described how Tejashwi and Rahul have persistently educated the public about SIR. “Rahul Gandhi, in a press conference, presented evidence of vote theft, which prompted the idea of the voter rights rally,” he said.

The yatra has already completed two phases. Its third and final phase will conclude on September 1 at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, where leaders of RJD, Congress, and CPI(ML) — the three constituents of the alliance — will address a massive public gathering.

Focus on winnability in Assembly polls

Speaking about the seat -sharing strategy ahead of the Assembly elections in the state, Jha said the Grand Alliance parties are keen to fight together. “This time, there’s consensus among all alliance partners to sit together, assess winnability, and contest unitedly — regardless of the party or candidate.”

Also read: ‘Not theft but robbery’: Vote theft anger grips rural Bihar | Ground report

Commenting on Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor, an emerging player in Bihar politics, Jha said the former “should refrain from making indecent remarks.”

(This article was originally published in The Federal Desh)