Vote Adhikar Yatra: Rahul Gandhi Says BJP Trying To Steal Bihar Election; Will Not Let That Happen

Sasaram, Bihar: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Sunday (August 17) launched the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra', a 1,300 km-long march against the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar. The 16-day campaign, supported by INDIA bloc partners, will cover 25 districts before concluding with a rally in Patna on September 1.

The inaugural event in Sasaram was attended by RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav, and other alliance leaders. Addressing the gathering, Rahul Gandhi alleged a nationwide conspiracy to "steal elections." "Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections are being stolen across the country. Their latest conspiracy is the SIR in Bihar. But we will not allow them to steal this election," he said.

Gandhi accused the BJP and RSS of undermining democracy and eroding the Constitution. He reiterated that a caste census, opposed by the Modi government, would be conducted if the INDIA bloc came to power. "This is the fight to save the Constitution. We will ensure a true caste census and expose the truth of SIR," he declared.

Citing alleged irregularities in Maharashtra and Karnataka, Gandhi said that voter rolls were manipulated after the Lok Sabha elections. "In one constituency, more than one lakh votes were stolen. Wherever new voters were added, the BJP alliance won. This is systematic vote theft," he claimed, adding that similar tactics were now being deployed in Bihar.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav backed Gandhi's charges, recalling instances where people marked dead by the Election Commission were proven alive. "Your vote is not just being stolen. It is being robbed," he told the crowd.