'Our Focus Is To Change The Behaviour Of The EC,' Rahul Gandhi On Voter Irregularities
Rahul Gandhi hails Bihar Yatra’s success, warns against vote theft, criticizes EC’s bias, praises youth participation, and stresses opposition unity and farmers’ protection in Bihar.
Congress leader and Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi has described the ongoing Bihar Yatra as a resounding success, highlighting the organic enthusiasm of participants. “People are joining on their own. We call, and they come naturally,” he said. “It’s clear that crores of people across Bihar are understanding what we stand for.”
At the same time, Gandhi criticized the Election Commission (EC) for failing to maintain accurate voter lists, citing issues in Karnataka, Haryana, and Maharashtra. “Our entire focus is to ensure that the Election Commission changes its approach. We will not allow vote theft in Bihar. We exposed similar practices in Karnataka, and we won’t stop here,” he added.
When questioned about accusations of misleading the public regarding EC campaigns to encourage voting, Gandhi responded firmly. He said, “The Election Commission has been promoting voting since the beginning of the elections. But my questions point directly to systemic issues—why are crores of votes being deleted, and why are fake voters appearing in the rolls?”
#WATCH | Araria, Bihar: Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, "...There is a partnership between the Election Commission, Election Commissioner and BJP."
— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2025
"There has been no answer to those questions till date. Where did one lakh fake voters come from, how did they… pic.twitter.com/KQZ0Dozu91
Gandhi cited his own press conferences where he presented clear data about these irregularities. “In Karnataka, I showed black-and-white data to the EC, but they did not respond. When I held a press conference, the EC demanded an affidavit from me. Days later, Anurag Thakur repeated the same points, yet no affidavit was requested from him. The difference is clear.”
He accused the EC of bias, asserting that its actions favor the ruling party. “If the EC were neutral, the same rules would apply to everyone. The fact that they do not insist on affidavits for government leaders shows a lack of impartiality. In Bihar, there appears to be a systemic effort to erase voter names. The BJP remains silent, because they are complicit in this partnership with the EC.”
On Local Politics and Alliances
Turning to local politics, Gandhi referenced a remark by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav about Union Minister Chirag Paswan, saying, “He is Hanuman of a particular person. We are the Hanuman of the public. Chirag Paswan is not an issue today… I will advise him as our elder brother to get married soon.” Gandhi responded lightly, “It is applicable for me as well.”
Addressing farmers’ concerns, he emphasized the party’s focus on reducing debt and ensuring protection measures. “Our national manifesto contains multiple ideas for farmers. Bihar’s manifesto committee is working specifically on local solutions to reduce their burdens.”
#WATCH | Araria, Bihar: On Union Minister Chirag Paswan, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav says, "He is Hanuman of a particular person. We are the Hanuman of the public. Chirag Paswan is not an issue today... I will definitely advise him, he is our elder brother and should get married as… pic.twitter.com/WIx3PAhojT
— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2025
Gandhi also highlighted the growing unity among opposition parties in Bihar. “A very good partnership has formed. All parties are collaborating, respecting each other ideologically and politically. There will be strong results, but preventing vote theft is essential.”
#WATCH | Araria, Bihar: Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, "A very good partnership has been formed between us, all parties are working together, there is mutual respect, ideologically we are united, politically we are united, there will be very good results, but… pic.twitter.com/cpEjEzJh64
— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2025
Youth Engagement in Politics
The Congress leader shared a striking observation about the yatra: the active participation of children. “Something very interesting is emerging—children are coming to me and saying, ‘Vote Chor Gaddi Chhodd.’ This is not just one child but thousands. Even six-year-olds are becoming politically aware.
#WATCH | Araria, Bihar: Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, "A very interesting thing is coming out, which was not there in the last two yatras. Children are coming. It is a very strange phenomenon. They are coming to me. They are saying 'Vote Chor Gaddi Chhodd'.… pic.twitter.com/RyxpzgUuYJ
— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2025
The Election Commission should engage with these children—they are the politically active youth of Bihar.”
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