During the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Madhubani, Bihar, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi upped the ante on the BJP, alleging large-scale electoral malpractice. Referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s past assertion that the BJP would rule for 40–50 years, Gandhi said, “A few years back, Amit Shah made a statement that the BJP government would last for 40–50 years. I was thinking, how can he say something like that? How does he know? We are all politicians, and only the people know what is on their minds. But now the reality is in front of everyone. They can make such statements only because they are involved in ‘vote chori’ (vote theft).”
अमित शाह ने बार-बार कहा कि BJP की सरकार 40-50 साल तक रहेगी।
पहले ये बयान अजीब लगा, अमित शाह को कैसे पता कि 40-50 साल तक सरकार चलेगी।
अब सच्चाई सामने आ गई है।
अमित शाह ऐसा इसलिए कह पा रहे थे, क्योंकि ये लोग ‘वोट चोरी’ करते हैं।
: ‘वोटर अधिकार यात्रा’ में नेता विपक्ष श्री… pic.twitter.com/JVzUZQjeuw
— Congress (@INCIndia) August 26, 2025
He further alleged that the practice of vote manipulation began in Gujarat, expanded nationally in 2014, and has since spread to several states. “I don’t lie, I only say things when I have facts before me,” Gandhi asserted.
‘A Thief Always Remains Silent’: Rahul Gandhi On Modi, Shah’s ‘Silence’ Over ‘Vote Chori’
The Congress leader pointed out that neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor Amit Shah had responded to his allegations of electoral fraud. “Not one BJP leader gave their comments on the press conference I did, especially when they give comments on everything. PM Modi and Amit Shah did not say a word. A thief always remains silent because he knows that he has been caught,” he said.
VIDEO | “Neither PM nor Amit Shah have uttered a word on my charges of ‘vote chori’ against them”, says Congress MP Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) during Voter Adhikar Yatra in Madhubani, Bihar.
(Source: Third Party)#VotersAdhikarYatra
(Full video available on PTI Videos –… pic.twitter.com/eLNn4U24TF
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 26, 2025
Accusing the BJP of undermining constitutional values, Gandhi remarked, “RSS does not respect Constitution because it guarantees equal rights to everyone.” He also claimed that legal changes made in 2023 had shielded the Election Commission from accountability. “A court case can be filed against any individual in this country, but not against the Election Commissioner… The BJP silently changed the law in 2023 so that this ‘vote chori’ can happen fearlessly… But in the Maharashtra election, they went a little too far, and we caught it,” he added.
Allies Back Gandhi, Alleging EC-BJP Nexus
Gandhi also met with allies of the Mahagathbandhan during his visit, where they collectively criticised the RSS and BJP. At a tea stop, Gandhi was joined by RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, CPI(ML)’s Dipankar Bhattacharya, Vikassheel Insaan Party chief Mukesh Sahani, Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar, Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan, and Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson Tushar Gandhi.
“The RSS method of attacking is (making) personal attacks. They used to do it with Gandhi ji all the time. People don’t know, don’t remember the amount of abuse and defamation heaped on him (Gandhi) by the RSS. How much they lied about him, this is their style,” Gandhi remarked in the video posted on his X handle.
Tushar Gandhi recalled that debates in earlier times were “very strong and heated” but never abusive, adding, “Now it has been legitimised.” Yadav added that personal abuse became common “after 2014” and pointed out, “They abused Karpoori Thakur ji and then had to give him a Bharat Ratna.”
Posting about the interaction on X, Gandhi wrote: “Yatra, vote chori, and Gandhi ji — a lively political discussion over hot tea and pakoras with coalition partners.”
यात्रा, वोट चोरी और गांधी जी – गठबंधन के साथियों के साथ गरमा-गरम चाय-पकौड़ों पर उतनी ही दिलचस्प राजनीतिक चर्चा हुई।#VoterAdhikarYatra pic.twitter.com/qcTFuyNKyk
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 26, 2025
On the issue of alleged vote theft, Yadav said, “People would earlier say that they cast their vote but when the results came, they did not know where their vote had gone. Now, these things that are coming out with evidence and facts, people now know that theft is happening. The approach that the Election Commission has taken, people have got the message that the two (EC and the BJP) are in collusion.”
Supporting Gandhi, Mukesh Sahani alleged, “The people felt they voted for the INDIA bloc, but the result was opposite. Now that you (Rahul Gandhi) have brought out the facts, people know that something is wrong and Modi ji is doing some ‘hera pheri’. Their (BJP’s) voters have also started to believe so.”
Sahani hailed the public response to the march, saying, “People earlier never used to hit the road at 8 in the morning and we have also not done that, but it is happening here.”
Rahul Gandhi’s Voter Adhikar Yatra In Bihar
The 16-day Voter Adhikar Yatra, spearheaded by Gandhi and backed by all Mahagathbandhan constituents, is being held in protest against the Election Commission’s special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. The campaign began on 17 August from Sasaram and will culminate in Patna on 1 September after covering over 1,300 km.
So far, the yatra has passed through Gayaji, Nawada, Sheikhpura, Lakhisarai, Munger, Katihar and Purnea. The route also includes Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, West Champaran, Saran, Bhojpur and finally Patna, where assembly elections are due later this year.
