Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav ride motorcycles with others during the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, in Bihar.
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Congress’s Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, the Leaders of Opposition in Lok Sabha and the Bihar Assembly respectively, on Sunday questioned the functioning of the Election Commission (EC) and accused it of siding with the BJP.
During their joint press conference in Araria, Rahul Gandhi was also asked about endorsing Tejashwi Yadav as their alliance’s chief minister face in Bihar, a question he sidestepped.
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The press conference took place amid the Voter Adhikar Yatra launched by Rahul Gandhi to mobilise public support in Bihar against what the Opposition calls “vote theft” through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. It was also attended by CPI-ML (Liberation) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani.
“The yatra has been very successful… This overwhelming response shows that crores of people in Bihar agree with what we’ve been saying about ‘vote chori’,” Rahul Gandhi said.
He accused the BJP and the EC of working in coordination to remove legitimate voters. “SIR is an institutionalised method of vote theft… There is a partnership between the Election Commission and the BJP,” he said.
The Congress leader further accused the EC of failing in its constitutional responsibility to maintain a fair and accurate voter list in states like Maharashtra, Haryana, and Karnataka. “In Bihar, we will not allow vote theft to happen. You may have done it elsewhere, but here, we will stop you,” he said.
On Karnataka, he said, “I presented black-and-white data about fake voters in Mahadevapura… I said there are fake voters and was asked to file an affidavit within five minutes. When Anurag Thakur said the same thing, no affidavit was sought from him till now… This clearly shows where the Election Commission stands.”
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Tejashwi Yadav echoed these concerns, alleging that the EC “has become a ‘Godi Commission’, functioning like a BJP cell.”
Amid the show of Opposition unity, when asked why the Congress isn’t endorsing Tejashwi as the alliance’s chief minister face in Bihar, Rahul sidestepped the question, instead emphasising alliance unity. “There is mutual respect among all partners. We are ideologically and politically aligned. There is no tension. The focus now is to stop vote theft,” he said.
Himanshu Harsh is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, currently leading on-the-ground coverage in Bihar. With a reporting career rooted in the complexities of the National Capital Region (NCR), Himanshu specializes in the critical intersection of law, crime, and civic governance.
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An alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, Himanshu brings a rigorous academic foundation to his investigative work. His expertise is characterized by a "ground-up" reporting style, most notably demonstrated during his extensive coverage of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where he analyzed shifting political landscapes and grassroots sentiment.
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Himanshu’s portfolio reflects versatility, allowing him to navigate diverse industries and social issues:
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Outside the newsroom, Himanshu’s deep engagement with technology and gaming informs his understanding of digital trends and the modern information economy. A trained DJ with a passion for music, his diverse personal interests contribute to a well-rounded perspective that resonates across both traditional and digital media platforms. ... Read More
