Congress general secretary KC Venugopal announced Wednesday that his party would launch a massive “Vote Adhikar Yatra” in Bihar on August 17.
“The fight to protect our democracy will take place on the streets! Starting August 17th, LOP Shri @RahulGandhi ji and INDIA parties will embark on a massive Vote Adhikar Yatra across Bihar,” Venugopal said in a post shared on handle X.
The yatra, led by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi along with leaders from INDIA bloc parties, aims to protest against the alleged manipulation of electoral rolls through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Venugopal said he has met INDIA bloc leaders in Sasaram to assess preparations and coordination for the yatra, which will take place in Bihar to raise awareness and build public opinion against the alleged vote manipulation.
The Congress party has been actively protesting against the alleged vote manipulation, with plans to organize various programs, including rallies and signature campaigns. The party aims to make the battle against “Vote Chori” a mass movement, mobilizing public support and demanding accountability from the Election Commission.
The Congress-led Opposition’s protest assumes significance in the wake of the upcoming assembly polls in the state. The Opposition claims that the SIR drive is being used selectively and disproportionately, targeting vulnerable sections of society, and potentially leading to large-scale voter list deletions.
The Election Commission of India, however, maintained that the SIR drive is a routine process aimed at cleaning up electoral rolls by removing duplicate or fake voters. Despite this, the Opposition has intensified its protests, with plans to march to the Election Commission headquarters in Delhi.
The controversy has sparked a heated debate about electoral integrity, voter verification, and the role of the Election Commission. With the assembly polls looming, the issue is likely to remain a contentious point between the opposition and the ruling party.