Gaya: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ continued to draw massive crowds on its third day in Bihar, as the campaign rolled into Gaya on Tuesday. The 16-day yatra, launched from Sasaram on Sunday, aims to highlight alleged voter suppression and irregularities in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Local Congress leader and Gaya Assembly hopeful Akhauri Omkar Nath alias Mohan Srivastava said the overwhelming response reflected growing public trust in Gandhi. “People are flocking to the Voter Rights Yatra because they trust only Rahul Gandhi. Lakhs are joining us, and this is the real mood of Bihar elections,” Srivastava said, accusing the BJP of manipulating the voter lists.
The Election Commission, however, has strongly rejected allegations of “vote theft,” calling Gandhi’s charges baseless. The poll body has asked the Leader of Opposition to either submit proof through a sworn affidavit or withdraw his statement.
In Gaya, Gandhi was accorded a grand welcome with drums, flower garlands, and banners across the city. Camps were set up by various community groups — including Vishwakarma, Mochi, Kumhar, Badhai, and Jeevika collectives — to mobilise support.
The yatra will cover over 1,300 km across 20 districts before concluding in Patna on September 1. Congress leaders Motilal Sharma, Jitendra Gupta, Dr. Mohan Srivastava, and Rajneesh Kumar Jhunna were among those leading the mobilisation in Gaya-Nawada.
