Rahul to lead Bihar Bandh march in Patna tomorrow

Leader of Opposition (LOP) Rahul Gandhi will lead the 'Bihar Bandh' march tomorrow against the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls.

Congress insiders said Rahul is expected to reach Patna airport at around 10 am on Wednesday, following which he is expected to make a brief stop to meet the family of slain businessman and BJP leader Gopal Khemka and extend his condolences to them. Later, he is expected to head towards the Bandh venue.

He will lead the march from Income Tax Golambar to Shaheed Smarak in Patna, sources said. The march will be taken out against the irregularities in the voter list and the alleged rigging in the revision process.

"All the major parties of the Grand Alliance, including Congress are supporting this bandh and will protest by taking to the streets," a party leader told The Tribune.

Khemka's murder has been constantly raked by Opposition parties against JDU-BJP government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as questions are being posed before the government over the state's law and order.

Meanwhile, Bihar Congress unit has directed its workers in all the districts to make the 'Bandh' successful. The Congress has been alleging that the voter list is being tampered with in Bihar on a large scale so that the names of poor, backward and Opposition-supporting voters can be removed from the list.

Rahul Gandhi’s visit is considered politically significant ahead of the 2025 Assembly elections in Bihar, since voter verification issue has become a major centre of confrontation between the ruling coalition and the Opposition.