Rahul Gandhi targets ECI, says masses demanding check on ‘vote theft’

Katihar (Bihar): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday once again targeted the Election Commission of India over alleged bias and wrongdoings in electoral roll revision in Bihar, saying the poll panel should “think” about the concerns being raised by the masses and end its “partnership” with the BJP.

Addressing the media after leading the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Purnia, Gandhi said his march has thrown up an interesting aspect about the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar, as even young children have been coming to him and saying “Vote Chor, Kursi Chod” — implying that the masses are alleging massive manipulation of voter list.

“Every child in Bihar has been politically activated over the issue. It is an interesting phenomenon and the Election Commission of India should think about it,” he said.

Dismissing the ECI claim that only those voters who have died or migrated have been cut, Gandhi said we are meeting people every day who have complaints of wrongful deletion of their names.

“Names of even those people who have voted five to six times in the past have been deleted. We don’t know what the ECI is claiming,” he said, that his current march is the third one after two Bharat Jodo and Nyay Yatras.

He thanked the people for their support of his march. “For the past few days, you have put in your full strength, supported us, and together we are protecting the Constitution, the right to vote, and our future. The ideas in this Constitution are rooted in thousands of years of thought,” he said.

When asked by IANS on what his party would do differently for farmers if it forms the government in Bihar, Rahul Gandhi said, “Our national manifesto includes different ideas for farmers. Here, too, we are preparing a manifesto with the basic idea that Bihar’s farmers must be protected, their debt burden reduced, and issues around export-import policies addressed.”

On a question about the perceived reluctance of the Mahagathbandhan to declare Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav as the Bihar Chief Ministerial face, Gandhi avoided a direct answer and said, “We have formed a wonderful partnership. All parties are working closely with mutual respect. We are expecting good results as well. But we need to stop vote theft.”

The Mahagathbandhan in Bihar has planned the 16-day ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, covering 1,300 km across 20 districts, to protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, which they allege is resulting in disenfranchisement of voters in large numbers.

The march is likely to conclude in Patna on September 1, about two months before the over seven crore electors pick a new 243-member state Assembly.

IANS