Patna: The ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra,’ led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, concluded today in Patna with a grand rally after a 16-day campaign covering over 1,300 kilometers across more than 20 districts in Bihar. Launched on August 17, 2025, from Sasaram in Rohtas, the yatra aimed to protest against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and raise awareness about voters’ rights ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.
The yatra, centered on the principle of “One Person, One Vote,” was initiated to safeguard democratic rights. Rahul Gandhi criticized the Election Commission for allegedly removing over 65 lakh names from Bihar’s voter list, calling it “vote theft.” These names reportedly belong primarily to the poor, Dalits, OBCs, Extremely Backward Classes, and minorities, many of whom are believed to support non-BJP parties. The yatra served as a platform to highlight this issue and mobilize public awareness.
Start: August 17, 2025, Sasaram, Rohtas.
Conclusion: Massive rally in Patna today.
Route: Covered over 20 districts, including Gaya, Bhagalpur, Purnia, Darbhanga, and West Champaran, spanning more than 1,300 km.
Prominent leaders from the INDIA alliance, including RJD’s Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin, NCP’s Sharad Pawar, SP’s Akhilesh Yadav, CPI-ML’s Dipankar Bhattacharya, and others, are attending the concluding rally. During the yatra, Rahul Gandhi addressed public meetings in constituencies like Katihar, Sitamarhi, and Aurangabad, accusing the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP.RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav described the yatra as a struggle to protect the voting rights of the poor, Dalits, and backward classes.
On August 27, Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin joined the yatra in Muzaffarpur, criticizing the Election Commission as a “puppet” of the BJP.The concluding event today saw participation from senior INDIA alliance leaders, including representatives from Trinamool Congress and Left parties, showcasing opposition unity. Rahul Gandhi tweeted that the yatra has empowered Bihar’s people to protect their voting rights.The BJP dismissed the yatra as “political drama,” with Bihar BJP MP Bhim Singh defending the SIR as necessary to remove “illegal immigrants” like Rohingyas and Bangladeshis.
The Election Commission called Rahul Gandhi’s allegations “baseless and misleading,” stating that voter lists are transparent, and details of the 65 lakh removed names were published on district officials’ websites as per a Supreme Court order dated August 14.Supreme Court Ruling: The Election Commission, following the Supreme Court’s directive, agreed to accept Aadhaar cards and 11 other documents as proof of voter identity. Complaints and objections were allowed from August 1 to September 1, 2025, with the final voter list to be published on September 30, 2025.