The BRICS TimesThe 1,300-km march spanned 25 districts and over 110 assembly constituencies with the slogan “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhor.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with RJD’s Tejaswi Yadav and other Mahagathbandhan allies, will wrap up the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Patna on Monday. The campaign, covering more than 1,300 km and crossing over 110 constituencies, is being viewed as a build-up to Bihar’s upcoming assembly elections.
Throughout the Yatra, Gandhi, Yadav, CPI-ML’s Dipankar Bhattacharya, and VIP chief Mukesh Sahani travelled in an open jeep, presenting a united front and amplifying allegations of “vote theft.” The march echoed with the slogan “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhor” as it passed through 25 districts, where leaders accused the Election Commission and BJP of manipulating voter lists under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Congress general secretary K. C. Venugopal said the Yatra, culminating in a grand rally from Gandhi Maidan to Ambedkar Park in Patna, had “touched millions” and received unprecedented public support. He called it a ray of hope for voters worried about losing their democratic rights.
The campaign drew participation from national leaders, including chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh, as well as Akhilesh Yadav and Priyanka Gandhi.
Controversies also surfaced. A video from Darbhanga allegedly showed an abusive remark directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sparking protests by BJP workers. Clashes broke out in Patna, with Congress accusing BJP of vandalising its state headquarters.
On Sunday, addressing a rally in Arrah, Gandhi described the Yatra as a “revolution beginning in Bihar” that would spread nationwide to protect every citizen’s vote. He accused the Modi government and BJP-RSS of favouring the wealthy while undermining democratic rights.
The march began on August 17 from Sasaram and moved through districts including Gaya, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, and Champaran, mostly via road in a hybrid format. Gandhi, dressed in his signature white T-shirt, cargo pants, and local-style gamcha, emphasized the constitutional right to vote as the cornerstone of Indian democracy.
