Amid the growing criticism over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter rolls, Congress leader and leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is all set to embark on his Voter Adhikar Yatra-a 16-day march aimed at championing electoral reforms and exposing alleged manipulations in the voter lists–from Dehri of the western Rohtas district from today.
The Opposition alleges that the SIR process, which has reportedly deleted over 6.5 million names from the electoral rolls, is a deliberate design to tamper with votes, disproportionately affecting backward communities, minorities and migrant workers.
The Yatra kicks off with a mega launch rally at Saura Aerodrome Ground near Dehri in Sasaram and will wind through Bihar’s diverse terrains, culminating in a grand rally at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan on September 1. On August 18, it proceeds with a padyatra through Dev Road Amba in Kutumba, covering the Aurangabad district. August 19 involves activities at Hanuman Mandir in Punama Wazirganj, focusing on Gaya and Nawada areas. August 20 is designated as a break day for rest and local interactions. On the fifth day of yatra (August 21), Rahul Gandhi will reach Teen Mohani Durga Mandir in Sheikhpura and enter Lakhisarai region. He will be at Chandan Bagh Chowk in Munger on August 22 to focus on electors of Bhagalpur division. On August 23, the Yatra will enter northeast Bihar at Kursela Chowk in Barari, Katihar. The yatra will cover Khushkibag from Katihar to Purnia, traversing the Purnia district, on August 24 (the eighth day). August 25 is another break day dedicated to strategy meetings.
On August 26, the Yatra arrives at Hussain Chowk in Supaul, part of the Madhubani division and the leader of the Opposition will interact with the local people at Gangwara Mahaveer Sthan in Darbhanga on the next day. On August 28, it features a padyatra along Riga Road in Sitamarhi district, followed by padyatra at Hariwatika Gandhi Chowk in Bettiah, covering West Champaran on the 12th day of yatra (August 29). On August 30, the yatra reaches Ekma Chowk in Ekma Assembly, Chapra, within Saran district, and concludes in Arrah. August 31 is a break day for preparations for the finale. Finally, on September 1, a mega Voter Adhikar Rally is scheduled to be held at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, featuring INDIA bloc leaders.
“This Yatra will give a new dimension to electoral politics in the country,” said a senior Congress leader Kishore Kumar Jha, stressing its potential to mobilise masses for transparency in elections. “The excitement is amplified by the INDIA bloc’s stellar performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where alliance candidates secured victories in nearly all seats in Bihar where Rahul Gandhi visited during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. With the bloc clinching 234 seats nationwide against the NDA’s 292, this yatra is seen as a continuation of that momentum, targeting the 40% youth voter base in Bihar who feel disillusioned by the NDA government.
Rahul Gandhi himself has framed the Yatra as a ‘direct fight against vote chori’ (vote theft) from Bihar’s soil, vowing to protect democracy. Joined by key allies like RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, left parties leaders including Dipankar Bhattacharya, Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav and other INDIA bloc figures including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the march will cover over 1,300 kms across more than 20 districts. It will feature public meetings, padyatras, and hybrid rallies to highlight issues like fake voter registrations and the need for electoral integrity. The slogan “Ab ki baar, vote choron ki haar” (This time, defeat for vote thieves) encapsulates the campaign’s aggressive tone.
Ahead of the Yatra, the Rohtas district administration is meticulously focusing on four key points to grant permission for Rahul Gandhi’s public meeting and cadre interaction camp at Suara aerodrome ground near Dehri on August 17. District Magistrate (DM) Udita Singh and Superintendent of Police (SP) Roshan Kumar have also held a meeting to ensure foolproof arrangement for the yatra.
AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, who reviewed preparations in Sasaram, confirmed the Yatra’s route-beginning with the mega launch in Rohtas on August 17, passing through Gaya, Munger, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Purnia, Madhubani, Darbhanga and West Champaran, before concluding in Ara on August 30, followed by the grand rally.
Bihar’s deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary has termed the Yatra a ploy to mislead the voters ahead of the polls. He also accused the Congress and its alliance partners of undermining the credibility of the Election Commission of India (ECI). He said that the SIR of the voter lists is a transparent process, aimed at ensuring electoral integrity, and the Opposition’s campaign is merely a tactic to deflect from their weak electoral prospects.
The DyCM further said that people of Bihar fully trusted the leadership of chief minister Nitish Kumar, and would reject the Congress’ decisive politics, predicting a resounding victory for the NDA in the upcoming polls.
Janata Dal (United) national spokesman Rajiv Ranjan Prasad slammed the Voters Adhikar Rally, describing it as a deliberate attempt by Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA bloc to unleash chaos ahead of the Bihar assembly elections. He argued that the rally would fail to expand the Opposition’s electoral base.
He hoped that the Nitish Kumar-led NDA will sweep the upcoming assembly polls in the state.