The story so far:
The Voter Adhikar Yatra, led by Rahul Gandhi, travelled 1,300 kilometres across 25 districts of Bihar to highlight ‘vote chori’ and alleged flaws in the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The campaign brought the INDIA bloc partners together, relied heavily on social media for outreach, and linked voter roll deletions to fears of exclusion from welfare schemes. While enthusiasm was visible on the ground, communication gaps by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and Booth Level Agents (BLAs) left many voters anxious and uncertain about their status on the rolls.
What was the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar?
The Congress organised the Voter Adhikar Yatra to expose alleged electoral malpractices by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and point out the Election Commission’s alleged complicity in them. Mr. Gandhi travelled in an open jeep with grand alliance leaders, including Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Dipankar Bhattacharya (CPI-ML), Mukesh Sahni (VIP), and State Congress president Rajesh Ram. With all leaders travelling together, the strength and bonhomie between alliance partners were on full display.
At different stops, other members of the INDIA bloc, such as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, and Congress leaders such as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Deepender Hooda, joined the yatra, signaling coordination between the alliance partners. While the yatra received limited coverage in mainstream media, much like the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress party emphasised a communication drive through social media, producing up to 20 reels, photographs, ad campaigns, and daily messages.
