Gearing up for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, all National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies will jointly hold conferences in all 243 Assembly constituencies starting from August 23, according to sources. Fourteen joint teams of NDA leaders have been formed to lead these events. The NDA in Bihar includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (United), and Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas).
Election Dates Yet to Be Announced
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has not yet declared the official dates for the Bihar Assembly polls, which are expected later this year. In response, the INDIA bloc has launched a 16-day campaign titled the Voter Adhikar Yatra to protest alleged voter suppression and manipulation of electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Rahul Gandhi Leads the Campaign
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is spearheading the Yatra, which began in Sasaram on Sunday. On Tuesday, he continued the third day of the march from Gayaji. Addressing a rally in Nawada, Gandhi repeated his charge that the BJP and the Election Commission are working together in what he called a “partnership” to steal votes.
Allegations of “Vote Theft”
Rahul Gandhi alleged that many voters in Bihar have had their names deleted from the electoral rolls. He claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Amit Shah, and the ECI are “snatching fundamental rights” from the people. Gandhi said he, Tejashwi Yadav, and other opposition leaders are determined to prevent any vote theft in the state.
The Voter Adhikar Yatra will travel across more than 20 districts, covering over 1,300 km, before concluding in Patna on September 1.
