Mahagathbandhan's 'Voter Adhikar Yatra’ to end in Patna today

The campaign has traversed 25 districts and covered more than 1,300 km to build momentum ahead of the Assembly elections in Bihar. The Opposition INDIA bloc has projected it as a people’s movement against “vote theft” in the state.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, CPI-ML’s Dipankar Bhattacharya and VIP’s Mukesh Sahani are expected to lead the concluding procession from Gandhi Maidan to Ambedkar Park.

Launched on August 17 from Sasaram, the yatra has passed through Aurangabad, Gaya, Nalanda, Munger, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Purnea, Araria, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, East and West Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan, Chhapra and Ara before reaching the state capital.

Throughout the campaign, the leaders travelled together in an open jeep, displaying unity and alleging that the BJP and Election Commission were colluding through the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

At several points, the rallies drew large crowds, with chants of ‘Vote chor, gaddi chhor’ echoing through town squares. Gandhi, in his trademark white T-shirt and cargo trousers with a ‘gamcha’ draped across his shoulders, repeatedly reminded supporters that the constitutional right to vote was under attack.

“Bihar has always been the land of revolutions. The response to this yatra has proved that another revolution has started here, one that will spread across the country to protect the right to vote,” Gandhi had said at a rally in Arrah on Saturday.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal described the campaign as a milestone in Bihar’s history of people’s movements, claiming it has offered hope to citizens who were fearful of losing their rights. Chief ministers from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh, as well as other Opposition leaders, including Akhilesh Yadav and Priyanka Gandhi, have extended support to the campaign.

However, the yatra also sparked controversies. In Darbhanga, a row broke out following a video of a participant using abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the stage. Later, clashes erupted in Patna between the BJP and Congress workers, with the Congress accusing the ruling party of vandalising its Sadaqat Ashram headquarters.

Despite these flashpoints, the Mahagathbandhan has billed the campaign as the launch of a wider struggle. Gandhi has accused the Modi government of working only for the “super rich” while ignoring public issues like unemployment and inflation.