New Delhi: Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, speaking at the ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar’s Sasaram district, strongly alleged widespread manipulation of electoral processes, vowing to expose what he called “vote theft” not only in Bihar but across several Indian states.
“The entire country knows what the Election Commission is doing. Earlier, the country did not know how votes were being stolen. But we made it clear in the press conference how votes are being stolen. Whenever the theft is happening, whether in Bihar, Maharashtra, Assam, Bengal, we will catch the thief and work to show the people,” Gandhi said during his address.
#WATCH | Sasaram, Bihar | Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, “The entire country knows what the Election Commission is doing. Earlier, the country did not know how votes were being stolen. But we made it clear in the press conference how votes are being stolen…” pic.twitter.com/1x4CCnlUND
— ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2025
He labelled the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar as a “conspiracy” by the Election Commission (EC) and declared that the Opposition was determined to resist any attempts to manipulate elections.
“I am telling you from this stage that Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections are being stolen in the entire country. Their latest conspiracy is to conduct SIR in Bihar and steal the Bihar elections as well by cutting the new votes and adding fake ones. All of us have come to this stage to tell you that we will not let them steal this election,” he added.
#WATCH | Sasaram, Bihar | At the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ event, Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, “I am telling you from this stage that Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections are being stolen in the entire country. Their latest conspiracy is to conduct SIR in Bihar… pic.twitter.com/w58qdOW6e1
— ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2025
Gandhi emphasised the crucial role of economically disadvantaged voters, asserting that the people of Bihar would not tolerate electoral fraud.
“Bihar’s population will not let this theft happen. Why? Because poor people only have the vote, and we will not let vote chori happen,” he said.
Tejashwi Yadav Also Slams Centre, EC
Joining Gandhi, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav directly accused the Election Commission and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to deceive the people of Bihar through alleged irregularities in the voter list.
“Narendra Modi is dead set on destroying the lives of the youth of Bihar. Modi makes the illiterate clap for him and does politics. But we do the politics of giving work to everyone’s hand. Today that is why we are here. Election Commission, Modi Bihario ko choona lagana chahate hai (want to scam the people of Bihar). Do not think of Biharis as weak,” Yadav asserted.
Citing Ram Manohar Lohia, the socialist leader and freedom fighter, Yadav reiterated that voting rights are a fundamental tool for empowering the marginalised.
“Lalu and Lohia have always been saying that ‘the rule of votes means the rule of small’. Our Constitution, Babasaheb Ambedkar, has given us all this right and given us the power of vote. Whether it is someone poor or rich or powerful, everyone has the right to give one vote, which is given by the Constitution,” he said.
Election Commission Responds
In response to the mounting allegations, the Election Commission reaffirmed that any issues with errors in the electoral rolls, including historical mistakes, must be addressed during the official “Claims and Objections” window.
The EC clarified that electoral rolls are shared with all political parties and candidates, giving them ample opportunity to review and raise concerns in a timely manner. It also noted that political parties and their booth-level agents frequently fail to scrutinise the rolls during the appropriate period.
(With inputs from ANI)