Why Did a Massive Crowd Gather to Welcome Rahul Gandhi as the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' Begins in Bihar?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Rahul Gandhi launched the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra', a significant campaign focused on safeguarding voting rights.
- Thousands of supporters attended the event, demonstrating strong public engagement.
- Prominent leaders from the **INDIA bloc** united to address serious electoral concerns.
- The campaign aims to combat allegations of vote manipulation and disenfranchisement.
- Rahul Gandhi reiterated the commitment to social justice through a nationwide caste census.
New Delhi, Aug 17 (NationPress) A remarkable gathering transformed Sasaram into a vibrant sea of Tricolour on Sunday as the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, inaugurated the 16-day, 1,300-km-long ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ across Bihar.
Prominent leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, joined Rahul Gandhi for this historic event, which saw thousands of supporters lining the roads.
During the rally, Kharge urged the citizens of Bihar to combat the alleged “vote theft” perpetrated by the BJP.
“This yatra is not merely about winning elections; it is a fight to preserve the Constitution, democracy, and the citizens’ right to vote,” he stated. Kharge further accused the Election Commission of removing 65 lakh voters from the rolls, predominantly affecting Dalit, Adivasi, minority, and other backward communities.
In a strong rebuttal against the BJP and RSS, Rahul Gandhi emphasized the need to defend the Constitution from being “erased” through electoral manipulation, asserting, “Elections are being stolen in both Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha across the nation.” He highlighted Bihar’s special revision of voter lists as “a conspiracy to disenfranchise millions ahead of state elections.”
He also referenced Maharashtra, where he claimed the INDIA bloc triumphed in the Lok Sabha elections but lost in the Assembly polls due to the sudden influx of one crore new voters, “all favoring the BJP.” Gandhi mentioned the Mahadevapura Assembly segment in Bengaluru Central, alleging that over one lakh fake votes influenced the result in favor of the BJP.
Reaffirming his party’s commitment to social justice, Gandhi announced that the Congress would pursue a nationwide caste census and advocate for the removal of the 50 percent cap on reservations.
He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making deceptive promises regarding these issues and cautioned that the government would not act genuinely.
The event saw attendance from other INDIA bloc leaders such as K.C. Venugopal, Bhupesh Baghel, Krishna Allavaru, Rajesh Ram, Shakeel Ahmad, Dipankar Bhattacharya, and Akhilesh Pratap Singh.