During a press conference in Araria, Bihar, as part of the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra,’ Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, launched a fresh criticism against the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the BJP. He characterized the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar as an “institutionalised way” to steal votes. Gandhi alleged a partnership between the ECI and the BJP, claiming that the Opposition’s complaints about the deletion of lakhs of voters’ names have been ignored while the BJP has remained silent. Gandhi stated the Opposition’s commitment to preventing the BJP and the ECI from manipulating elections in Bihar. He highlighted the yatra’s success, citing organic public participation as evidence of widespread belief in the vote theft claims. He emphasized the ECI’s responsibility to provide accurate voter lists, alleging failures in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Karnataka. Gandhi asserted the goal of changing the ECI’s behavior and preventing electoral malfeasance in Bihar. He criticized the ECI for not requesting an affidavit from Union Minister Anurag Thakur after Thakur made similar claims regarding vote theft in opposition-ruled constituencies. He pointed out the media’s understanding of the ECI’s allegiances, suggesting a lack of neutrality. The ‘Voter Adhikaar Yatra,’ a 16-day march covering 1,300 km across 20 districts, is organized by opposition parties to protest the SIR exercise in Bihar.
