GG News Bureau
Patna, 19th Sept: The political heat in Bihar escalated on Thursday as Janata Dal (United) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, asserting that his recently concluded Voter Adhikar Yatra would leave no imprint on the upcoming Assembly elections.
Speaking to reporters, Jha said, “He (Rahul Gandhi) has roamed around in Bihar, but his visit had no impact. People in Bihar are in favour of NDA and Nitish Kumar. Only they can understand what they are saying.” He added that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s recent meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah was “a very good meeting,” underscoring the cohesion within the NDA.
Amit Shah Hits Out at Gandhi
Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah sharpened the BJP’s attack during a rally in Begusarai, accusing Rahul Gandhi of siding with “Bangladeshi infiltrators” rather than addressing the aspirations of Bihar’s youth.
“Rahul Baba had come here. The yatra he organised was to save the infiltrators. Should these infiltrators be on our voter list? Should they receive our rations, jobs, or medical benefits? Rahul Gandhi doesn’t care about Bihar’s poor or youth. He only cares about infiltrators from Bangladesh,” Shah said to loud cheers.
The Home Minister’s remarks sought to link Gandhi’s campaign with concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Bihar, where thousands of names are under scrutiny.
Congress Fires Back
The Congress, however, countered with sharp allegations of voter fraud. Rahul Gandhi, addressing a press conference after his 15-day Yatra concluded on September 1, claimed that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was complicit in shielding what he called “vote chors” (vote thieves).
Accusing Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of ignoring repeated letters from the Karnataka Crime Investigation Department (CID) about voter list manipulation in the Aland assembly constituency, Gandhi alleged, “This is proof that Gyanesh Kumar is protecting vote chors. There is a group of people systematically targeting voters belonging to Dalits, OBCs, Adivasis, and minorities.”
He further claimed that around 6,000 votes were fraudulently deleted in Aland using software, suggesting a nationwide pattern of voter suppression aimed at Opposition supporters.
Yatra’s Political Impact Under Debate
Rahul Gandhi’s Voter Adhikar Yatra, which saw several INDIA bloc leaders joining him on stage, was intended to mobilise grassroots support and spotlight alleged electoral irregularities. However, NDA leaders remain confident that Nitish Kumar’s track record and the BJP-JD(U) alliance’s organisational strength will outweigh Gandhi’s efforts in Bihar’s highly competitive electoral battleground.
With the Assembly polls just weeks away, the war of words between the NDA and Congress highlights both the intensity of the campaign and the pivotal role Bihar could play in shaping the Opposition’s national momentum.
