The Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar resumed on Thursday after a day-long break in Sheikhpura. During the Yatra, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav accused the Nitish Kumar government of lacking vision for development.
In the evening leg of the Yatra, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined it in Lakhisarai. In Munger, Mr Gandhi said that we will not tolerate ‘vote theft’.
In a post on X, Congress wrote, “A clear message from the people’s hero to vote thieves- ‘Vote theft’ will not be tolerated, we will not allow vote theft in Bihar.”
The opposition has strongly criticised the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Bihar. Leaders claimed that the removal of millions of names amounted to tampering with votes and disenfranchising vulnerable communities.
The campaign also intends to mobilise public support ahead of future elections. Senior party leaders have described the yatra as an attempt to expose irregularities and build momentum for clean and fair electoral practices in India.
Developments So Far
The Election Commission rebutted allegations of vote theft and defended SIR in Bihar.
In a press conference, CEC Gyanesh Kumar said that during the Lok Sabha elections, over one crore employees, more than 10 lakh booth-level agents, and over 20 lakh polling agents of candidates work for the electoral process. And in such a transparent process, it would even be possible for any voter to steal votes.
Taking a veiled dig at Rahul Gandhi, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar further said it is mandatory to submit a “Constitution oath” as a witness if he is not a voter of the constituency the complaint is being made for. The Election Commission also asked Rahul Gandhi to either submit an affidavit within seven days or apologise for his allegations.
However, during the launch of the Voter Adhikar Rally in Sasaram, Bihar, Mr Gandhi said, “He will expose any theft of votes, whether it happens in Maharashtra, Bihar, or elsewhere in the future.”
On August 18, 2025, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, resumed the Yatra in Aurangabad, Bihar.
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