Sasaram (Bihar): Congress leader and Lok Sabha Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi will kick off a 16-day statewide march in Bihar on Sunday to highlight what the party calls a “systematic attempt” to undermine the principle of “one person, one vote.”
The campaign, named ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, will start from Sasaram and cover nearly 1,300 km before culminating in Patna on September 1 with a large public rally. Gandhi will be joined by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav and other INDIA bloc allies during the march.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, addressing reporters in New Delhi, said the yatra aims to protect democratic rights.
“Whenever Rahul Gandhi has taken to the streets, it has marked a turning point for democracy. This will be a historic journey to ensure that no one loses their right to vote,” Khera said.
The Congress has accused the Election Commission of acting as an extension of the ruling BJP’s “double-engine government” and claimed that the ongoing special revision of electoral rolls in Bihar is designed to “disenfranchise voters” ahead of assembly elections later this year.
Khera alleged that fake additions and deletions in the voters’ list have been exposed.
“Even common citizens are reporting instances of vote theft. This is not just about elections—it’s about identity and representation. Today, Dalits, minorities, and marginalised communities are being targeted. Tomorrow, their participation in governance will also be taken away,” he said.
The yatra will pass through key districts, including Gaya, Bhagalpur, Purnea, Darbhanga, and Champaran, before concluding in the state capital.
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The Congress has urged people across Bihar to join the movement, which it describes as essential for safeguarding constitutional values.
Party leaders reiterated that the campaign is not just a political exercise but a fight to save democracy. “Rahul Gandhi is standing for the poor, the oppressed, farmers, women, and workers,” Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh said at a press meet in Patna.
He added that the party had sought a discussion in Parliament on the alleged voter list discrepancies but was ignored by the BJP.
Gandhi, in a statement earlier this week, said the Congress will “wage a decisive battle against vote theft” and ensure a clean and fair electoral process.
