Prime Minister Narendra Modi wins elections by “stealing votes”, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged on Friday (August 29, 2025) during his ongoing Voter Adhikar Yatra.
The Congress leader was addressing a public meeting in Siwan district of Bihar, along with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani, and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya.
Editorial | War cry: on the Opposition’s ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar
“For many days, I had doubts that the Prime Minister, the BJP and the Election Commission were stealing the votes. I got the proof in Maharashtra election and Karnataka election… how fraudulent names were added and genuine names were deleted. Narendra Modi wins elections by stealing votes but we have told him that we will not allow even a single vote to be stolen in the Bihar election,” Mr. Gandhi said.
Mr. Gandhi asserted that “vote theft” was an attack on the Constitution of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. “Narendra Modi, pay attention. We will not allow anyone to attack the Constitution. Voting is the right of the poor, the backward, EBC [Extremely Backward Class], minorities, women, youth, farmers and the underprivileged. Narendra Modi takes the side of Adani-Ambani, he will first take away your vote, then your ration, and then other benefits,” Mr. Gandhi alleged.
Referring to the clash between workers of the BJP and the Congress outside the latter’s Patna office, Mr. Gandhi said, “Right now, the BJP supporters are shaken because we caught their theft. We have only shown the theft in Mahadevapura [Bengaluru]… In the coming times, we will show proof from Haryana, Maharashtra and Karnataka as well. In all these places, we are going to expose the BJP-Narendra Modi’s vote theft.”
Praising the people’s participation in the yatra, Mr. Gandhi said the people of Bihar have given energy to the yatra and the slogans of “Vote Chor Gaddi Chhor” (vote thief, leave the throne) were echoing across the country. He also expressed his disappointment over power cuts in places where the INDIA bloc leader held public meetings.
Earlier in the day, the yatra resumed from West Champaran and reached Gopalganj, the home town of RJD chief Lalu Prasad. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also took part in the yatra along with Mr. Gandhi in Gopalganj.
Mr. Yadav, while addressing the public meeting, took a dig at the ruling party, alleging that the BJP wanted to destroy the Constitution and democracy, but the poor, youth, farmers, mother and sisters of Bihar were unitedly saying that “no one can dare to destroy the Constitution and democracy”.
“Now, BJP has realised that this yatra has become a hit and they are setting a false narrative and propaganda. I must say that the Prime Minister is a manufacturer of lies and the biggest liar in the country. [Bihar Chief Minister] Nitish Kumar’s reputation has been shattered after switching sides so many times,” Mr. Yadav said.
Former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan and Congress leader Sachin Pilot, along with RJD MP Manoj Jha held a separate press conference in Gopalganj, in which both slammed the EC and Mr. Modi for the alleged vote theft.
“The constitutional institution of this country, which is responsible for conducting fair, clean and transparent elections came under suspicion when Rahul Gandhi ji asked questions by giving evidence. However, no answer came from the EC,” Mr. Pilot said.
He added that the people of this country will not tolerate vote theft and deliberate deletion and addition of votes from the electoral rolls, in the name of SIR, he said.
Mr. Jha, on the other hand, said Voter Adhikar Yatra has now become a public movement.
“Across the country, including Bihar, slogans of Vote Chor Gaddi Chhor are being raised. The people want change; they want a ray of light in the darkness. Voter Adhikar Yatra has given a clarion call, through which the public itself are protecting their vote,“ Mr. Jha said.
Published – August 29, 2025 10:56 pm IST