Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, will launch a ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’ on Sunday from Bihar’s Sasaram to highlight the alleged assault on the people's right to vote through the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. Gandhi took to X to announce the schedule of the 16-Day Yatra, asking people to join in Bihar to save the constitution.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, “ 16 days 20+ districts 1,300+ km. We are coming among the people with the Voter Rights Yatra. This is the fight to protect the most fundamental democratic right - ‘one person, one vote.’ Join us in Bihar to save the Constitution.”
Earlier in the day, the former state Congress President Akhilesh Prasad Singh said that Rahul Gandhi will be in Bihar for over a fortnight till the ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’ concludes with a rally in Patna on September 1.
“Tomorrow, Gandhi will launch the yatra from Sasaram. All the necessary permissions have been obtained from the authorities concerned. The yatra will build a tempo in favour of the INDIA bloc ahead of the assembly polls,” the Rajya Sabha MP said while addressing a press conference.
Gandhi will be in Bihar for ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’ for nearly 15 days, in which he will cover 25 districts of the state with three break days on August 20, 20 and 31. “At Sasaram, Rahul Gandhi is likely to be joined by Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of the Opposition in Bihar, besides our other alliance partners, including three Left parties. For the final rally in Patna on September 1, we will try to bring leaders of as many like-minded parties as possible,” Singh said.
Talking about the alleged deletion of voters' names during the special revision of electoral rolls, he said, “We have been left with no option but to hit the streets. Our pleas for a discussion on the sensitive issue in Parliament have fallen on deaf ears. The behaviour of the Election Commission reminds us of Babasaheb Ambedkar's warning that the Constitution faced the greatest threat from those who were either stupid or cunning.”
Meanwhile, the Rashtriya Janata Dal has launched a two-and-a-half-minute song, with lyrics in a mix of Hindi and Bhojpuri, showing the key role Tejashwi Yadav is expected to play in the Vote Adhikar Yatra. In the video, Yadav is seen sharing the space with Gandhi, and being hailed as a leader who was vigilant and willing to rouse the people, and ensure “nobody's right to vote is snatched and the spirit of freedom is never lost.”
(With PTI Inputs)