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‘Thank Nitish Kumar for…’: Bihar minister jabs Rahul Gandhi ahead of his ‘Voter Adhikaar Yatra’
Rahul Gandhi will launch the 1,300 km ‘Voter Adhikaar Yatra’ on Sunday, spanning over 20 Bihar districts, in Congress’ drive against alleged “vote theft.”
Bihar minister Ashok Choudhary on Sunday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should thank Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the improved condition of roads that has made his ‘Voter Adhikaar Yatra’ in the state possible.
“Rahul Gandhi should thank Nitish Kumar, for the roads that used to be in such a bad shape are now so smooth that Rahul Gandhi is even able to take out a Yatra... He should be grateful that such a big Yatra will be possible due to Nitish Kumar's roads,” Choudhary told ANI.
The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha is set to begin his 1,300 km-long ‘Voter Adhikaar Yatra’ on Sunday, covering over 20 districts in Bihar as part of the Congress’ campaign against alleged “vote chori.”
‘Voter Adhikaar Yatra’
Ahead of the state Assembly election in Bihar this year, Rahul Gandhi, joined by RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and other Mahagathbandhan leaders, will launch the ‘Voter Adhikaar Yatra’ from BIADA Ground, Sasaram.
The march, organised against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list, will run for 16 days and culminate with a rally in Patna on September 1. Gandhi is also expected to address a gathering later in the evening at Ramesh Chowk, Aurangabad.
In a Hindi post on X, Gandhi said, “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’.” He added, “Join us in Bihar to save the Constitution.”
According to party leaders, the march will be conducted in hybrid mode – on foot and by vehicle – similar to Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Manipur to Mumbai earlier this year.
At a press conference in New Delhi, Congress’ media and publicity head Pawan Khera alleged that the SIR had “exposed” BJP’s plan to disenfranchise Dalits, Adivasis, minorities, poor people and daily wagers. “It was a conspiracy to not only steal our votes, but also steal our identity,” he claimed.
He further said, “Today they will snatch the underprivileged people's right to vote, tomorrow they will refuse them the share in government schemes like free food and housing.”
Khera also criticised the Election Commission, saying, “The EC becoming like one of the ‘compartments’ of the BJP’s so-called ‘double engine’ is unacceptable and the Congress will not let that happen.”
He added, “Whenever Rahul Gandhi ji has set out for a yatra, the democracy of this country has turned a page. ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ will be a historic march. It will prove to be a milestone in the history of our democracy.”
The yatra will cover 20 districts including Aurangabad, Gaya, Nalanda, Bhagalpur, Purnea, Darbhanga, East and West Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan and Chapra.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission clarified that issues regarding errors in electoral rolls should be raised during the “Claims and Objections” period. It stressed that the rolls are shared with parties and candidates precisely so such discrepancies can be flagged on time, adding that parties and Booth Level Agents often fail to check them at the appropriate stage.
(With ANI, PTI inputs)
