The Congress has accused the Election Commission (EC) of acting as a “compartment” of the BJP-led “double engine government”, alleging voter disenfranchisement through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ahead of Bihar’s assembly elections.
“Whenever Rahul Gandhi sets out on a yatra, Indian democracy takes a new turn. This will be a historic march for voter rights,” said Pawan Khera, Congress media department head, at a press conference in New Delhi.
Calling the yatra a fight to uphold the constitutional principle of ‘one person, one vote’, Khera alleged that the EC’s revision process is a “conspiracy to disenfranchise Dalits, minorities, and the marginalised”.
“The BJP has been caught red-handed in manipulating the voter list. This is not just about elections — it’s about stealing identity and silencing participation,” he added, citing citizen reports and a Supreme Court intervention.
The yatra is part of Congress’s broader ‘Voter Awareness Campaign’, which aims to mobilise public opinion against what it calls “vote chori” (vote theft). Gandhi echoed this sentiment in a recent statement, “This is a direct battle to defend democracy, the Constitution, and the right to vote. We are determined to ensure a clean voters’ list across India.”
At a parallel press briefing in Patna, Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh claimed that EC officials had admitted that up to 20% of Bihar’s voters could lose their franchise under the current roll revision. He criticised the state government for avoiding discussion on the issue in the Assembly and called on citizens to participate in the yatra.
“Rahul Gandhi is the voice of the poor, the women, the farmers, and the workers. This yatra is a fight to protect their rights,” Singh said.
The march will pass through key districts including Aurangabad, Gaya, Nalanda, Bhagalpur, Purnea, Darbhanga, and Champaran, covering a broad swathe of the state.
The Congress has framed the yatra as both a political and constitutional mission, pledging to take its “do-or-die” campaign against alleged voter suppression directly to the people.
