Patna, August 16: Congress leader and Lok Sabha Opposition chief Rahul Gandhi will begin a 16-day, 1,300-kilometre ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ from Sasaram on Sunday. The march, joined by RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and leaders of the Mahagathbandhan, will culminate with a large rally in Patna on September 1.
The Congress has positioned the campaign as a movement to safeguard the principle of “one person, one vote,” while accusing the Election Commission of functioning as an extension of the BJP-led Centre.
Announcing the yatra on social media, Gandhi posted in Hindi: “16 days, 20+ districts, 1,300+ km. We are coming to the people with the Voter Adhikar Yatra. This is a fight to defend the most fundamental democratic right – the right to vote.”
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera described the march as a “turning point” for Indian democracy. “Each time Rahul Gandhi leads a yatra, it shapes the democratic journey of the nation. This one will be remembered as a milestone. We cannot allow the Election Commission to be reduced to a puppet of the so-called double engine government,” he said.
The party and its INDIA bloc allies have consistently opposed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, claiming it is designed to exclude a large number of voters ahead of the upcoming state elections.
Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh alleged that as many as 20 percent of voters could lose their right to vote. “The draft list revealed major discrepancies. This is nothing short of an attempt at vote theft. We will take this message to every district to ensure people know their rights,” he told reporters in Patna.
The march will pass through over 20 districts, including Aurangabad, Gaya, Nalanda, Sheikhpura, Munger, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Purnea, Supaul, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, and both East and West Champaran, before reaching its finale in Patna.
Calling it a direct battle against “vote chori,” Gandhi pledged to fight for transparent voter lists across the country. “This is not just about one election. It is a defining struggle to defend democracy, the Constitution, and the right to vote,” he asserted.
