New Delhi: Taking a cue from Rahul Gandhi’s recently concluded Voter Adhikar Yatra, the Congress plans to link the electoral roll issue with welfare schemes and other privileges offered by the government to people and make it one of party’s central themes in the run-up to the assembly polls in Bihar.
At least three Congress functionaries told HT that the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha has already laid the foundation for this plank during his fortnight-long yatra in the poll-bound state.
“During Yatra, Gandhi has harped that the Constitution gives each adult right to vote. But if a voter’s name is removed, not only this right has been denied, but his other rights and privileges are also doubtful,” a senior party leader said.
The Election Commission is yet to announce the schedule of the Bihar elections, but it is expected in October-November. In 2020, the polling started on October 28 and the results were declared on November 10.
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The alleged vote theft issue is the latest confrontation between the Opposition and EC. Gandhi’s yatra, during which he also met with a group of seven people, who have been declared dead in Bihar’s draft electoral roll, has put the voter roll issue at the forefront of the Opposition’s agenda.
{{/usCountry}}The alleged vote theft issue is the latest confrontation between the Opposition and EC. Gandhi’s yatra, during which he also met with a group of seven people, who have been declared dead in Bihar’s draft electoral roll, has put the voter roll issue at the forefront of the Opposition’s agenda.
{{/usCountry}}However, in the run-up to the polls, the Congress leadership wants to link this issue with privileges such as sops or welfare schemes offered to the people, a second leader said.
“During the Yatra, Gandhi had said at multiple places that vote theft is an assault on the Constitution and we will not allow any assault on the Constitution,” the second leader added.
The effort to link votes with benefits offered by the government also stems from the party’s campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, when Gandhi had said that the alleged assault on the Constitution was a ploy to remove the reservation, a charge denied by the ruling BJP.