Amid a heated debate over alleged “vote theft” in Bihar and the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday launched his Voter Rights Yatra. Almost simultaneously, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI-M] staged a massive rally in West Bengal, denouncing the SIR exercise and what they called the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government’s divisive policies.
Thousands of Left supporters, led by CPI-M state secretary and politburo member Mohammed Salim, marched nearly seven kilometres through North Dum Dum, a northern suburb of Kolkata. The rally, organised by five area committees of the party, wove through several neighbourhoods before culminating in a brief public meeting.
Salim accused the central government of “deliberately disenfranchising genuine voters” in Bihar and using communal polarisation as an electoral strategy. “The SIR is being misused to strike out the names of actual voters and replace them with new ones. The people of Bihar will not allow their votes to be stolen,” Salim said, adding that the campaign was part of a nationwide fight to “save the Constitution”.
The Left leader also took aim at West Bengal’s ruling Trinamul Congress, alleging that chief minister Mamata Banerjee was “helping the BJP from behind a mask”. “We are fighting against both the BJP and Trinamul in Bengal,” he declared. Rahul Gandhi, speaking before the start of his march in Bihar, echoed those concerns. “We will not allow the theft of votes in Bihar. Across India, from Bengal to Bihar, people are resisting the BJP’s destructive policies,” he said.
The North Dum Dum rally also drew attention to a series of recent gender-based crimes in West Bengal, including the rape and murder of women students, which participants said reflected a worsening law and order situation. Leaders of the All India Democratic Women’s Association joined the protest, alongside student and youth groups.
Residents also highlighted local grievances, such as poor drainage and crumbling roads within the municipality, linking them to broader issues of governance and accountability. Political observers say the CPI-M’s mobilisation in West Bengal is timed to resonate with Rahul Gandhi’s Bihar campaign, reflecting a bid by the Left to reconnect with grassroots voters after years of electoral decline.
“This is not just about Bihar or Bengal,” said Salim. “The RSS and BJP are trying to erase the Constitution across India. It is our duty to resist.” As Gandhi’s march progresses through Bihar and the CPI-M intensifies street campaigns in Bengal, the opposition hopes to build momentum ahead of crucial electoral battles in 2026 and beyond.