The Congress-led Mahagathbandhan’s Voter Adhikar Yatra, pitched as a fight to safeguard the sanctity of the ballot, will conclude in Patna on Monday with a massive foot march from Gandhi Maidan to Ambedkar Park.
The 16-day journey, flagged off from Sasaram on August 17, covered more than 1,300 km across 25 districts and over 110 assembly constituencies. At its centre was Rahul Gandhi, joined by Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD, CPI-ML’s Dipankar Bhattacharya and Vikassheel Insan Party leader Mukesh Sahani, who travelled together in an open jeep as a symbol of opposition unity.
At each stop, the refrain was clear. “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhor” echoed through Bihar’s towns and villages as leaders alleged that the BJP, with the connivance of the Election Commission, was seeking to manipulate the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said, “The Voter Adhikar Yatra will conclude with a massive Yatra in Patna, from Gandhi Maidan to Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar Statue, Ambedkar Park, giving a fitting culmination to a Yatra that has touched millions.”
He added, “The people of Bihar have given unprecedented support to the Voter Adhikar Yatra embarked upon by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi ji, Ex-deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav ji and the entire Mahagathbandhan.”
According to Venugopal, the campaign was a milestone in Bihar’s political history: “For a state that has seen historic deprivation and hardships, the threat of their one true power, the right to vote, being stolen was unimaginable. The fear they had in their hearts needed comforting, and the Yatra came in as a ray of hope against the blatant destruction of democracy being orchestrated in the name of SIR.”
Also read: Special Observer reviews SIR in Bihar
The Yatra also drew the support of leaders from other states, including the chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh, as well as Akhilesh Yadav and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Rahul Gandhi, addressing a rally in Arrah on Sunday, declared, “Bihar is a land where revolutions have taken place. The response to the Voter Adhikar Yatra has proved that another revolution has begun from Bihar. In the days to come, this will engulf the whole country.”
He reiterated that the march was not confined to Bihar but was a “revolution” intended to ensure “not one vote is stolen” anywhere in India.
The Yatra, however, was not without controversy. A row erupted after a purported video from Darbhanga showed abusive language used against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from a dais. The BJP staged a protest in Patna, during which its workers clashed with Congress supporters. The Congress, in turn, accused the BJP of vandalising its Sadaqat Ashram headquarters.
Throughout the march, Rahul Gandhi maintained his trademark white T-shirt and cargo trousers, often draping a “gamcha” around his neck to mirror the rural dress code. His message was consistent: “Remember, if your vote is stolen, you will be robbed of your future. Your right to vote has been bestowed upon you by the Constitution, which is the embodiment of the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and Babasaheb Ambedkar. We must protect it.”
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