Rahul Gandhi's ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra' will be historic: Congress leader

The Hindu

2 days ago

Ahead of the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's proposed 16-day 'Vote Adhikar Yatra' beginning August 17 from Sasaram in Bihar, former Bihar Congress president and party Rajya Sabha member Akhilesh Prasad Singh on Saturday (August 16, 2025) said the yatra would be a historic one.
He said that it would boost the morale of the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) leaders for the upcoming State Assembly elections. The State Assembly polls are likely to be held in Bihar in October or November later this year.
Rally on September 1
During the yatra, Mr. Gandhi is expected to be crisscrossing about 25 districts of Bihar, out of a total of 38, with three breaks on August 20, 25 and 31 before culminating the journey at Patna with a rally on September 1. Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav and other Opposition leaders would be present with the Congress leader during the inauguration of the yatra in Sasaram. The proposed Statewide tour is also being taken out to raise awareness among people about their right to vote, Mr. Singh added while addressing media persons in Patna.
'It will be a historic yatra in which unimaginable [number of] people would participate and come out on the streets. The yatra will cover about 1,300 km,' Mr. Singh further said. When asked whether Congress leader and party MP Priyanka Gandhi would participate in the yatra as well, the Rajya Sabha MP said he was not aware about her joining it. 'When I'll come to know about this if she joins the yatra, you all will be informed,' he said.
'Anomalies being exposed'
While making remarks on the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across the poll-bound State, the Congress leader further added, 'The anomalies in the exercise are being exposed every day by different news media'. 'Before this exercise was to begin in Bihar, leaders of about 20-22 political parties had gone to meet the Election Commissioner of India but even at that time he had told us that about 20% of the voters' names would be deleted from the [voters] list,' Mr. Singh said while claiming that 'except two parties BJP and JD(U), almost all political parties had opposed SIR of electoral rolls exercise, which means they were supporting it from the backdoor'.
'Our party leader Rahul Gandhi ji will kick start the Voters Rights Yatra from Sasaram tomorrow and he will be in Bihar for almost a fortnight. I appeal to people to come and support the yatra, which would eventually be a yatra to protect your right to vote,' the Congress leader said.
'Yatra will be a milestone'
In Delhi, the party's media and publicity wing chief, Pawan Khera said, 'Whenever Rahul Gandhi ji has set out for a yatra, the democracy of this country has turned a page. 'Vote Adhikar Yatra' will be a historic march, and it will prove to be a milestone in the history of our democracy. We'll not accept that the Election Commission becomes a compartment of this so-called 'double-engine',' Mr. Khera said.
'We're fighting against this and will continue to do so in the future as well,' he added. The ruling NDA alliance leaders have been saying that there was a 'double engine (both BJP and JD-U) government in Bihar and at the Centre, which has accelerated growth of the State and the country as well'.
Earlier, Mr. Gandhi had said that the yatra had been planned to 'fight for the right of one person, one vote'. 'We're waging a direct fight against 'vote chori' from Bihar with 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' and we'll ensure a clean voters list across the country,' said Mr. Gandhi. 'Vote chori is not just an election issue but a decisive battle to protect democracy, the Constitution and the principle of 'one man, one vote',' the Congress party leaders said while asserting, 'vote chori' has been a do-or-die issue' for them.
Meanwhile, ruling BJP leaders termed Rahul Gandhi's Statewide tour as a complete nautanki (drama) by Opposition party leaders that 'will have no impact at all among the people of the State'.