Gaya, Aug 18 (IANS) As the Voter Adhikar Yatra, spearheaded by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, entered Gaya district on the second day of its march, the INDIA bloc leaders asserted that the Election Commission of India (ECI) would eventually have to “bow” before their fight against alleged “vote chori” (vote theft).
The yatra, which began from Sasaram on Sunday, reached Aurangabad in the evening, where the two leaders addressed a massive public meeting before halting overnight.
The campaign seeks to raise awareness about alleged irregularities in the ECI’s Special Intensive Review (SIR) of the Bihar voter list and to mobilise people’s support ahead of the Assembly elections.
All India Mahila Congress President Alka Lamba told IANS, “Passing through Sasaram, Rohtas Nagar, and Aurangabad, Gaya will be our third district, and the fourth will follow, expanding further. This journey will last at least 16 days, covering 1,300 kilometres and 25 districts.”
Explaining the larger purpose of the yatra, she said, “The aim is to provide employment to Bihar’s rural youth who are forced to migrate, proper housing for the poor, and quality education for the students. A nine-year-old rape victim died due to inadequate treatment at a Patna hospital; all these issues are at the top of our agenda.”
She also accused the ruling party of manipulating the mandate, saying, “People here are telling us that they don’t vote for the ruling party, then how are they winning? These people are carrying out ‘vote chori’ here. The entire voter list is rigged, and that is why we are fighting against this theft. The ECI will have to bow in front of this fight.”
Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh echoed the sentiment, telling IANS, “There is great enthusiasm and public support for Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav. As long as the SIR continues, this wave of people will keep growing. It is our resolve to ensure that the people of Bihar are not deprived of their rights. Rahul Gandhi has embarked on a 1,300-kilometre-long journey to fulfil this goal.”
RJD MP Abhay Kushwaha also lashed out at the ruling party, saying, “The entire Bharatiya Janata Party is working not only in Bihar but across the country to manipulate the Election Commission to bring about vote rigging and vote theft. This is the outrage of the common people, and you can see this anger.”
He said that the yatra will not stop until the decision to hold SIR is taken back.
“The BJP-led NDA will have to take back the decision of holding the SIR. The people know that their voters are being cut. If we don’t support them today, they will not support us in the future. We will ensure that the public’s votes are not cut going forward,” Kushwaha told IANS.
–IANS
sd/dan
