The rally in Nawada saw stiff protests from BJP workers and an incident involving a police constable, escalating political tensions in the district.
BY PC Bureau
August 19, 2025: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’ entered its third day on Tuesday, moving through Nawada district as part of a 16-day, 1,300 km campaign across Bihar to protest alleged irregularities in voter lists ahead of the Assembly elections. Rahul once again accused the Election Commission of colluding with BJP to effect “vote Chori”, pledging to safeguard every vote
At a public gathering at Bhagat Singh Chowk, Gandhi accused the Election Commission of collaborating with the BJP to manipulate voter rolls, warning that lakhs of names had been removed to favor the ruling party. “The Constitution guarantees rights to everyone, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are snatching them away,” he said, adding, “The Election Commission is asking me to file an affidavit even after its ‘vote theft’ had been caught.”
Amid sloganeering of “Vote Chor Gaddi Chhod,” Rahul Gandhi once again warned the Election Commission of action when the INDIA alliance returns to power. “We’re not going to spare anyone involved in the murder of democracy,” he said.
At the rally, Rahul Gandhi invited a local resident, Subodh Kumar, to share his experience with the crowd. Subodh Kumar claimed that he had voted in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and had even served as a polling agent during those polls. However, he alleged that his name was removed from the voter list in the draft electoral rolls published on August 1, 2025..
Subodh Kumar’s testimony was presented as evidence of what Rahul described as systematic “vote theft” allegedly orchestrated by the Election Commission in collusion with the BJP. Gandhi highlighted that there were “lakhs of people in Bihar” facing similar issues, with their names reportedly deleted from voter lists despite having participated in recent elections.
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Rahul Gandhi said that the youth of Bihar will not allow votes to be stolen. He emphasized that voting is the right of all citizens and noted that in today’s India, for the poor, only their vote remains. He warned that if a person’s vote is taken away, their ration card, land, and other rights could also be at risk.
He went on to claim that when the facts emerge, it will be clear that even the verdict of the 2020 Assembly polls in Bihar was manipulated. “We have no doubt about it,” he added.
He introduced the term SIR (Special Intensive Revision), calling it a modern method of vote theft. “Give us some time, we will catch your theft in every Assembly, Lok Sabha seat, and put it before the people,” Gandhi declared. He emphasized the urgency of protecting voters’ rights: “We will not allow even a single vote of Bihar to be stolen,” and accused the EC and BJP of forming a nexus to suppress citizens’ electoral power. “There is a partnership between the Election Commission and the BJP to steal votes,” he said, further warning, “When the INDIA alliance forms the government, we will take action against the Election Commission and its officials for this vote theft.”
Rahul also spoke on issues affecting the common man’s life, saying the INDIA alliance is committed to addressing unemployment in Bihar. “Bihar has the highest unemployment, but we are going to tackle it,” he said.
एक दिन वो सच्चाई भी सामने आएगी, जिसमें पता चलेगा 👇🏼
बिहार का पिछला चुनाव भी चोरी किया गया था।
चुनाव आयोग के लोग याद रखें- हमारी सरकार उनके खिलाफ कार्रवाई जरूर करेगी।
: ‘वोटर अधिकार यात्रा’ में नेता विपक्ष श्री @RahulGandhi
📍 बिहार pic.twitter.com/Qe5V2hh809
— Congress (@INCIndia) August 19, 2025
The turnout at Nawada was impressive, with thousands of supporters lining the streets to catch a glimpse of Rahul Gandhi and join the ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra.’ Crowds waved flags, raised placards, and echoed slogans like “Vote Chor Gaddi Chhod”, reflecting widespread enthusiasm and support for the Congress-led campaign. Supporters from nearby villages and towns traveled long distances to participate, creating a lively, vibrant atmosphere throughout the rally route.
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The mood among participants was charged with energy and a sense of purpose. People cheered Gandhi’s speeches, applauded his strong words against alleged electoral malpractices, and expressed hope for change through the upcoming elections. While there were occasional tensions due to counter-protests by BJP workers, the overall sentiment among the rally-goers was optimistic, determined, and united around the themes of protecting voter rights and demanding accountability.
READ:
बिहार के युवा वोट चोरी नहीं होने देंगे।
वोट हम सबका अधिकार है। आज के हिंदुस्तान में गरीबों के पास सिर्फ वोट बचा हुआ है।
अगर आपका वोट चला गया तो आपका राशन कार्ड, जमीन और बाकी सब भी चला जाएगा।
: ‘वोटर अधिकार यात्रा’ में नेता विपक्ष श्री @RahulGandhi
📍 सैदपुर, बिहार pic.twitter.com/P3MeZQlbyK
— Congress (@INCIndia) August 19, 2025
The rally, which also featured RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, was met with stiff resistance from BJP workers in Hisua.. The BJP criticized the yatra, claiming the opposition was misleading the public and undermining democratic institutions. Party spokesperson Ajay Alok defended the Election Commission, asserting that the deleted voter names largely belonged to deceased individuals and questioning the opposition’s logic.
The yatra was also marred by an incident in which a police constable was allegedly run over by a vehicle in Gandhi’s convoy, prompting BJP leaders to call for accountability and criticizing the Congress leadership for negligence.
The ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’ will continue its journey across Bihar, covering over 20 districts in 16 days, and is scheduled to conclude on September 1, 2025, at Gandhi Maidan in Patna.
