Voter Adhikar Yatra: Rahul Gandhi alleges partnership between ECI and BJP

The Hindu

a day ago

On the third day of 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi continued his attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI) accusing the poll body of having a partnership with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Mr. Gandhi, while addressing a public meeting at Bhagat Singh Chowk in Nawada, said, 'A partnership is ongoing between BJP and the Election Commission. They are stealing votes together. The Constitution has given the right to vote, which is being snatched by Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and the Election Commissioner.'
He further said that the BJP, along with the Election Commission, has stolen votes in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh. He alleged that in Maharashtra, between the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the ECI created about 1 crore new voters.
'When we asked who these 1 crore new voters were, the ECI didn't have any answers. When we demanded videography, they changed the law. Now in Bihar, under the guise of SIR (Special Intensive Revision), the BJP and the Election Commission are stealing votes. We will not let them get away with vote theft, 'Mr. Gandhi said while accompanied by other leaders of the INDIA bloc.
Explaining the impact of alleged vote-theft, Mr. Gandhi pointed out that first, voter cards will be taken away, then ration cards and lands will be given to Adani and Ambani.
'This country does not belong to a few industrialists. This country belongs to the youth, farmers, and small traders, but over here everything is done for them. So, we must come together to change these conditions,' Mr. Gandhi said.
Before addressing the gathering, Mr. Gandhi asked one local farmer, Subodh Kuma,r to tell his story. He told Mr. Gandhi that his name had been removed from the draft rolls, though he had voted in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He also said that he was a polling agent in the Lok Sabha elections.
Over his story, Mr. Gandhi reacted saying that there are many such voters whose name was there in the voter list and now removed.
Tejashwi Yadav backs Rahul's claim
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav too alleged that ECI along with BJP engaged in snatching the voting rights.
'They are taking away the rights to vote, many names have been removed, and people who are alive have been declared dead. The people of Bihar will teach a lesson to this Khatra Sarkar (junk government) ruling the State for 20 years. My uncle Nitish Kumar ji is in an unconscious state and he is not able to control Bihar,' Mr. Yadav said.
The Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly asserted that the time has come to generate pace in the development of Bihar and uproot the present government by supporting Mahagathbandhan.
'We are young people with new visions and Tejashwi Yadav will take along all sections of people to make a new Bihar. PM Modi has cheated the youths of Bihar, and this copycat government is making an announcement of whatever I had promised,' Mr. Yadav said.
Rahul for PM: Tejashwi
He also asked the gathering to vote for Mr. Gandhi in the next Lok Sabha election to make him the Prime Minister.
Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) Chief Mukesh Sahani and Communist Party of Indian (Marxist-Leninist) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya while addressing the crowd said that conspiracy is going on to remove the names of genuine voters from the voter list in poll bound Bihar.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Gandhi resumed the Yatra from Punama and on the way, Mr. Gandhi got down from the car at Wazirganj and met school children.
The supporters were continuously chanting slogans against SIR blaming, Election Commission of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They shouted slogans of 'Vote Chor Gaddi Chhodd' (Vote thief, leave the throne).