Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi's Voter Adhikar Yatra Creates Political Buzz In Bihar Ahead Of Polls

Patna: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, ably assisted by RJD`s Tejashwi Yadav and other leaders of the INDIA bloc, was successful in creating a political buzz in Bihar through his Voter Adhikar Yatra at a time when the state is bracing itself for the high-stakes assembly polls.

Gandhi along with other INDIA bloc leaders also sought to fill up workers of the INDIA bloc`s allies with a new enthusiasm and optimism throughout the Yatra.

Rahul also dropped a political bombshell when he declared that BJP leaders should be prepared for his fresh revelations of 'vote chori'.

"After my 'atom bomb' of revelations about vote theft in Karnataka, I am now bringing my 'hydrogen' bomb of disclosures about vote theft and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be able to show his face to the country after that, he roared amid applause from people at the concluding event of his Yatra in Patna in a hot and humid afternoon on Monday.

Gandhi consolidates his position

With the opposition restricting BJP to 240 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Gandhi`s image improved significantly, but subsequent defeat in Maharashtra and other states assembly elections took away much of the sheen. While TMC leader and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee last December had expressed her willingness to lead INDIA bloc, given an opportunity, BJP also started wooing Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, but with his Voter Adhikar Yatra, Gandhi has definitely strengthened his position in the alliance and also at the national level, remarked former professor at Tata Institute of Social Studies (TISS) Pushpendra Kumar Singh.

“Now, we can see Gandhi as a formidable challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in future,” remarked a Congress leader.

Rahul Gandhi also attempted to strengthen the opposition alliance by inviting several INDIA bloc chief ministers - MK Stalin, Revanth Reddy, Siddaramaiah, Hemant Soren - and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav to his Yatra.

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Whether Congress will benefit?

During his Voter Adhikar Yatra, Gandhi covered 110 assembly constituencies, out of which Congress had contested 22 in the last assembly election and won seven. Congress had won altogether 19 out of 70 seats it contested in the last polls. Even as Gandhi repeatedly raised the slogan of "Vote Chor Gaddhi Chhor" with people joining him in chorus during the Yatra, it has to be seen whether the slogan continues to reverberate in their minds.

Congress can hope for revival in the state only after it manages to strengthen its organisation at the ground level, but it is a long term goal. But for putting up a good show in the election as a short term objective, Gandhi along with Congress`s workers and leaders should capitalise on the euphoria created during his Voter Vikas Yatra by reaching out to the people more extensively as well as more intensively. With Gandhi`s Voter Adhikar Yatra, Congress is also better placed to negotiate a respectable number of seats in the election.

“If vote chori becomes a narrative in the election, Congress can definitely hope of improving its last performance in the polls,” remarked political analyst Indrajit Singh.