INDIA bloc to take out ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’ across Bihar from Aug 17

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with INDIA bloc leaders in Bihar will embark on a ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’ across the state starting August 17 against the revision of electoral rolls and to make the “battle against vote chori” a mass movement, the party said on Wednesday.

Congress general secretary in-charge organisation K C Venugopal announced the yatra on X and said the fight to protect our democracy will take place on the streets.

“Starting August 17th, LOP Sh Rahul Gandhi ji and INDIA parties will embark on a massive Vote Adhikar Yatra across Bihar — against the dangerous SIR exercise, and to make the battle against Vote Chori a mass movement!” he said.

In this context, Venugopal said he met the INDIA bloc leaders in Sasaram on Wednesday to assess the preparation, mobilisation and set up smooth coordination for the yatra.

The yatra will culminate on September 1 with a rally at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan.

The Congress on Tuesday had claimed that “vote chori” was a “do-or-die” issue for it, and announced a roadmap to take its allegations to the people through various activities, including ‘Loktantra bachao mashaal marches’ on August 14 evening.

The assertion was made after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge held a meeting with party general secretaries, in-charges and heads of its frontal organisations.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Congress leader and AICC in-charge of National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) Kanhaiya Kumar had said that going forward, the Congress will take this to the people with three important programmes.

On August 14, the eve of Independence Day, there will be a ‘Loktantra bachao mashaal march’ at all district headquarters, Kumar said, adding that between August 22 and September 7, the Congress will hold “vote chor, gaddi chhorh (vote thieves, relinquish power)” rallies in all state headquarters.

“Between September 15 and October 15, a signature campaign will be run to save the right to vote and ensure people’s participation,” he had said, while asserting that the whole INDIA bloc is together on this.

Last Thursday, Gandhi cited data from the 2024 Lok Sabha polls to claim that more than 1 lakh votes were “stolen” through five types of manipulation in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment of Bangalore Central Lok Sabha seat in Karnataka.

The opposition has been also protesting in both Houses of Parliament against the revision of electoral rolls, alleging that the EC’s exercise is aimed at “disenfranchising voters” in Bihar ahead of the assembly elections due later this year. They have been demanding a discussion on the issue in both Houses.