Rahul Gandhi alleges ‘institutionalised vote theft’ during Bihar Yatra
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged a deep-seated partnership between the Election Commission of India and the Bharatiya Janata Party
ARARIA/PATNA: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday targeted the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral roll is an “institutionalised way” of stealing votes.
Talking to media persons in Araria during the Congress’s Voter Adhikar Yatra, the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha alleged a deep-seated partnership between the ECI and BJP, stating, “In Bihar, SIR is an institutionalised way for vote theft. Lakhs of voters’ names were deleted; the Opposition is complaining, but the BJP hasn’t complained even once because there is a partnership between ECI, the election commissioner and the BJP.”
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc leaders interacted with the press on the last day of the second leg of the 16-day Yatra in Seemanchal region. Other leaders of the bloc, including RJD’s Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, CPI(ML) Liberation’s Dipankar Bhattacharya and VIP’s Mukesh Sahni, unitedly denounced the alleged electoral malpractices ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. The yatra, a grassroots campaign to protect voting rights, has spotlighted claims of “vote chori” (vote theft) and seeks to safeguard democracy and the Constitution.
Gandhi, sidestepping questions on projecting Yadav as Bihar’s next chief minister, underscored the main aims of the campaign: “Our objective is to stop vote theft in Bihar.” He highlighted its distinct appeal compared to his Bharat Jodo Yatras, noting, “This yatra has something different... Even children are coming to me to raise the slogan ‘Vote chor gaddi chhorh’,” a chant he claimed has resonated across Bihar’s villages.
He cited voter list irregularities, such as living individuals marked deceased, as evidence of deliberate suppression. “We are finding people in Bihar who are alive but declared dead in the voter list, affecting their votes,” Gandhi asserted, accusing ECI of bias and referencing unequal treatment, like BJP’s Anurag Thakur not facing affidavit demands unlike himself.
Expressing confidence in Opposition unity, Gandhi said, “A very good partnership has been formed between us, all parties are working together, there is mutual respect, ideologically we are united, politically we are united, there will be very good results.” He linked the Yatra’s organic crowds to an impending “big change” in Bihar, vowing, “We are not going to quit”. Gandhi noted unresolved complaints submitted to ECI from Maharashtra, Haryana, and Karnataka, underscoring their distrust in the commission’s impartiality.
Tejashwi Yadav lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a “rumour monger” and “liar” over his ‘ghushpetiya’ remark in Gaya, dismissing it as “nothing but a lie in Bihar.” Branding ECI as “Godi Aayog,” Yadav alleged it operates as a BJP cell, eroding democratic processes. He framed the Yatra as a fight “to save democracy, the Constitution, and voting rights,” particularly for marginalised communities targeted by SIR revisions.
Dipankar Bhattacharya, describing ECI as the “Election Omission of India,” accused it of discrediting democracy. “Everywhere there is anger against ECI... It is their prime duty to release a clean electoral roll, not political parties’,” he said, warning that the commission’s lapses burden the Opposition. Mukesh Sahni echoed this, alleging that ECI strips the poor of adult suffrage through flawed voter roll revisions.
Underlining the INDIA bloc’s commitment to address agrarian distress, Gandhi said, “The interest of farmers must be protected, and they must be given the opportunity to lead a debt-free life,” through a collective manifesto.
The leaders’ unified stance, with Gandhi claiming “crores of people in Bihar believe and accept” the vote theft narrative, signals growing public support. As Bihar approaches its polls, the yatra’s momentum could reshape electoral discourse, pressuring the ECI for transparency while the Opposition vows to intensify its campaign against systemic voter suppression.
