The Mahagathbandhan supporters are enthusiastic about the new poll plank marked out by the leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi–the vote chori claims. The hardcore supporters of the opposition think the new narrative can sink the NDA ship and bring back the government of RJD led alliance in Bihar after 20 years.
According to analysts, the narrative has created a stir as people believe the independent body election commission of India is aligning with the BJP to win the elections. And are trumping the rights of their right to chose government.
The Voter Adhikar Yatra, launched jointly by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, is more than just a political rally. It has begun to reframe the battle for Bihar, giving the Mahagathbandhan a sharper edge against the ruling NDA.
The narrative came up when Rahul Gandhi presented hard data to show how there have been disproportionate addition of votes in several places by pointing out a representative assembly constituency in Karnataka where more than 1 lakh voters were seen unlawfully added.
At its core, the campaign claims that the system of manipulating electoral rolls has been extended under the SIR (Systematic Investigation of Roll) exercise and disenfranchising large chunks of marginalised voters. By branding this as well “vote theft,” the opposition has struck a chord with communities that already feel excluded as their relatives, friends or family members have not been registered in the new voter list.
An RJD MP from Buxar Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar says that there are more than one lakh voters than have been removed from the new list of electoral rolls. For the Mahagathbandhan, this is not just an electoral complaint, it seems to have become a moral crusade.
Political observers note that agenda-setting from the leader of the opposition has given edge to the opposition as they seem to have won half the battle in according to the standards of Indian politics where narrative reigns centrepiece of electoral battles.
Rahul Gandhi, often accused of being late to frame issues, appears to have now seized the initiative. By calling the fight one of “democracy versus manipulation,” he has forced BJP onto the backfoot. Instead of defending its welfare schemes or invoking Hindutva, the NDA now finds itself having to answer the barrage of questions raised by opposition.
“This isn’t about caste arithmetic or alliances anymore. It’s about whether your vote counts,” said a senior Congress leader. That simply makes it a potent narrative.
The Yatra, according to political observers, has been carefully designed to connect with SCs, STs, OBCs, and Muslims, groups who feel their names are struck off disproportionately from electoral rolls. By invoking the Constitution and Ambedkar, Rahul and Tejashwi have cast the issue as one of fundamental right that is at stake because of the compromised electoral system.
Moreover, for the first time, the duo is not just appearing together but sustaining a joint campaign. Their chemistry on stage, Rahul providing the national heft and Tejashwi the local fire, has projected a united opposition front in Bihar.
This is in contrast with the NDA, where its primary chief in Bihar Nitish Kumar’s has repeatedly shifted his allegiance which has eroded his credibility. Also, the BJP lacks a charismatic state leader to match Tejashwi’s energy on the ground.