Bihar rejects Congress' 'vote chori' pitch as NDA sweeps polls

Despite repeated allegations of “vote theft” raised by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the Congress in several Assembly polls and last year’s Lok Sabha elections, the issue failed to find traction in Bihar, where Gandhi had undertaken a 16-day Voter Adhikar Yatra along with Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) leaders.

- ANAND SINGH

Rahul Gandhi first addressed a press conference on alleged vote theft on August 7, and later launched his Voter Adhikar Yatra on August 17 from Sasaram district. The campaign covered at least 25 districts and over 130 Assembly constituencies, focusing on the issue of “vote chori” and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in the state.

However, despite extensive campaigning, the Congress’ “vote theft” narrative failed to resonate with Bihar's electorate. By the time of filing this report, the party was performing poorly, leading in only four seats. Notably, the Congress had also been reduced to four seats in the 2010 Assembly elections under the leadership of Mehboob Ali Kaiser.