Voter Adhikar Yatra: Won't let 'conspiracy' to 'steal' Bihar polls succeed, says Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday (August 17) said the whole country now knows that the Election Commission is “stealing” elections in collusion with the BJP and asserted that the INDIA bloc will not let them succeed in their “conspiracy” to steal Bihar Assembly polls by voter additions and deletions through the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Rahul stated this at Sasaram rally in Bihar before embarking on the 1,300-km ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ covering over 20 districts in Bihar along with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.

Rahul said while he was asked to submit an affidavit after his press conference exposing "vote chori", no such demand was made from BJP leaders who made claims in their presser.

‘Vote theft’ across country

"In the whole country, Assembly and Lok Sabha elections are being stolen and their last conspiracy is to delete and add voters through SIR to steal the elections in Bihar," Rahul charged.

"We will not let them steal the election in Bihar. People of Bihar will not let them steal elections. Poor only have the power of vote and will not let them steal polls," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said. He said the whole country now knows what the EC is doing and how it is carrying out this "theft". He said his press conference a few days back had exposed how "vote chori" is being carried out. He asserted that it is a fight to save the Constitution.

The Yatra launch event was attended by the likes of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, RJD chief Lalu Prasad, Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav, Vikassheel Insaan Party's Mukesh Sahani, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPI(M)'s Subhashini Ali and CPI's P Sandosh Kumar.

16-day, 1,300-km yatra

With the Assembly polls barely three months away, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, along with Mahagathbandhan leaders, will undertake the 16-day and 1,300 km-long yatra from Sasaram, which will conclude with a rally in Patna on September 1.

“16 days, 20+ districts, 1,300+ km. We are coming among the people with the Voter Adhikar Yatra. This is a fight to protect the most basic democratic right - 'one person, one vote',” Rahul said in a post on X. "Join us in Bihar to save the Constitution," he added.

The 'yatra' will be in a hybrid mode, on foot and by vehicle, as was Rahul’s Manipur to Mumbai Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, party leaders said.

Yatra route

The 'yatra' will pass through Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, Nalanda, Sheikhpura, Lakhisarai, Munger, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Purnea, Araria, Supaul, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, East Champaran, West Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan, Chapra and Ara.