Patna, Bihar – What began as a routine Tuesday morning in Bihar’s capital turned into a fiery political showdown as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi led a defiant Opposition march straight to the gates of the Election Commission (EC) office in Patna. Their mission: to raise hell over what they call a “deliberate and dangerous” attempt to tamper with Bihar’s electoral rolls ahead of the upcoming state elections.
Clad in his now-iconic white kurta, Rahul Gandhi walked shoulder-to-shoulder with a coalition of regional leaders, including RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and Left party representatives. The streets buzzed with energy, slogans rang through the air, and protestors waved banners reading “Democracy in Danger” and “Stop Voter List Scam.”
This high-voltage protest was triggered by the EC’s recent notification to revise electoral rolls in Bihar — a process the Opposition claims is being manipulated to disenfranchise lakhs of legitimate voters, particularly from backward, Dalit, and minority communities.
“This isn’t about numbers. It’s about the soul of democracy,” thundered Rahul Gandhi from atop a makeshift platform, addressing a crowd of nearly 10,000 supporters. “They want to erase your name from the voter list so they can erase your voice. But we will not let them!”
Sources within the Congress claim that discrepancies in draft rolls have already surfaced in several districts, including Gaya, Purnia, and Muzaffarpur. Entire voter clusters have vanished overnight. Gandhi and his allies accuse the ruling BJP-led government of orchestrating a “backdoor exit strategy” by cutting off votes from opposition strongholds.
The protest march ended at the EC office, where a 12-point memorandum was submitted, demanding:
- Immediate halt of the current revision drive
- A third-party audit of voter list changes
- Full transparency in roll deletion criteria
- Public hearings before finalization of revised rolls
The EC, in a brief press release, acknowledged receiving the memorandum and assured the leaders that “all claims will be examined in accordance with law.”
Meanwhile, BJP leaders dismissed the rally as political theater. “Rahul Gandhi has no agenda except disruption. The electoral roll revision is a constitutional process. If someone has proof, let them submit it, not scream on the streets,” said BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad.
But the people on the streets of Patna weren’t buying it. “If our votes disappear, what’s left of democracy?” said Nagma Jahan, a protester from Phulwari Sharif. “They want to win not by votes, but by vanishing voters.”
As the election fever begins to rise, this bold move by Rahul Gandhi and the Opposition signals an aggressive new strategy—taking the battle straight to the system. Whether this will translate to results on the ballot remains to be seen. But one thing’s clear: the gloves are off.