Congress to raise voter rights issue in Bihar through 16-day 'Voter Adhikar Yatra'

New Delhi [India], August 16 (ANI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will kick off the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' from Sasaram in Bihar on August 17, aiming to raise awareness about voter rights and protest against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The 16-day yatra will cover a distance of 1,300 kilometres, with scheduled breaks of one day each on three occasions (August 20, 25 and 31).
Rahul Gandhi will be accompanied by Mahagathbandhan leaders, including Tejashwi Yadav and representatives from Left parties. The journey will be conducted in a hybrid mode, following the footsteps of Rahul Gandhi's earlier Bharat Jodo Yatras, with the first being on foot and the second in a hybrid format.
The yatra will culminate on September 1 at the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna with a large rally attended by key INDIA alliance leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav, and Lalu Prasad Yadav, marking the formal launch of the Bihar assembly election campaign.
The rally will mark a show of strength by the INDIA alliance and serve as the grand announcement of their Bihar assembly election campaign.
It is noteworthy that Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi has been vocal about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, and the INDIA bloc parties have repeatedly protested in Parliament over the issue during the monsoon session.
While the opposition has demanded discussion in Parliament, the government maintains that election matters fall under a constitutional and independent institution, beyond parliamentary debate.
During the Voter Adhikar Yatra, Rahul Gandhi is expected to highlight the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, which led to the deletion of 65 lakh voter names, and also raise concerns over alleged voter manipulation in Karnataka.
To strengthen the party's organisational structure, Rahul Gandhi appointed Krishna Alavaru as the in-charge for Bihar and replaced upper-caste state president Akhilesh Prasad Singh with Dalit MLA Rajesh Ram.
Congress has also convened its screening committee in Patna to finalise candidates for the elections.
In the previous Bihar assembly polls, Congress contested 70 seats, winning 19. Due to a low strike rate, the Mahagathbandhan alliance was unable to form the government, a point highlighted by the RJD. For the upcoming elections, Congress plans to contest 70 seats, while RJD is reportedly reluctant to allocate more than 50 seats. (ANI)