"Deeply privileged": Priyanka, Revanth Reddy join "historic struggle" to retain India's right to vote

Wayanad MP and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joined Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav in the ongoing Voter Adhikar Yatra, as did Telangana chief minister A. Revanth Reddy.

Gandhi Vadra and Revanth Reddy both joined the Yatra in Bihar's Supaul, at Hussain Chowk, on the 10th day of the statewide progress — after a break yesterday, 25 August.

वोट चोरों सावधान
जाग गया है हिंदुस्तान

📍 बिहार pic.twitter.com/dbRwgyl00o

— Congress (@INCIndia) August 26, 2025

All four leaders sat up in an SUV, with other senior members of the INDIA bloc parties, waving to at an enthusiastic crowd that kept pace.

Gandhi Vadra, posting in Hindi on X, declared, "The BJP, which has lost the trust of the people, is hatching conspiracies to steal votes across the country."

"In Bihar, the BJP–JDU government, which has failed on every front including inflation, unemployment, migration, and economic crisis, wants to remain in power by stealing the votes of the people.

"The voting rights of millions of poor and deprived citizens are being snatched away.

"The Constitution has given every Indian the right to vote. No power can snatch this right.

"We will not allow even a single vote of the poor people to be stolen.

"Jai Constitution!

जनता का विश्वास खो चुकी भाजपा देश भर में वोट चोरी की साजिशें रच रही है। बिहार में महंगाई, बेरोजगारी, पलायन, आर्थिक संकट समेत हर मोर्चे पर नाकाम बीजेपी-जेडीयू सरकार जनता का वोट चुरा कर सत्ता में बने रहना चाहती है। लाखों गरीब और वंचित नागरिकों से वोट का अधिकार छीना जा रहा है।… pic.twitter.com/XOnC3ZcJui

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) August 26, 2025

Up in the air: Bihar voter rolls and GST 2.0

Revanth Reddy too posted on X to express his gratitude for the opportunity to participate in a "historic struggle" — to defend the right to vote.

Recalling the Congress party's legacy of leading the nation to independence and laying "the foundations of democracy" for India, he said the Congress had once "empowered every citizen with the right to vote—an equal right granted without discrimination of caste, creed, religion, community, class or gender"— and suggested it would ensure this right again.

The Indian National Congress is the party that led our nation to independence and laid foundations of democracy in our country.

It empowered every citizen with the right to vote—an equal right granted without discrimination of caste, creed, religion, community, class, or gender.… pic.twitter.com/yuuoW9iBXo

— Revanth Reddy (@revanth_anumula) August 26, 2025

Saying he felt "deeply privileged" to participate, he added, "Today, under the leadership of Shri Rahul Gandhi, the Congress Party is waging yet another historic struggle to defend this right to vote."

On 24 August, Sunday, addressing a press conference in Araria, Rahul Gandhi had expressed his confidence that the united efforts of the INDIA bloc in Bihar — the Mahagathbandhan allies — would show results in the upcoming assembly polls.

"The INDIA bloc will soon come out with a common manifesto for the Bihar assembly polls. All constituents of the opposition alliance are working unitedly... we are both ideologically and politically aligned... mutually respecting each other, and the results would be fruitful," Gandhi had said yesterday.

"I call it a good partnership among all constituents of the INDIA bloc," he had said.

Tejashwi Yadav, a former deputy chief minister of Bihar and now the likely chief ministerial candidate for the INDIA bloc, also spoke gratefully of the public's love and support for the Mahagathbandhan finding clear expression throughout the anti-"Vote chori" and anti-SIR campaign, and suggested it seemed to have NDA leaders worried.

वोटर अधिकार यात्रा

ये सिर्फ जनसैलाब नहीं...
वोट चोरों को जनता की ललकार है

📍 बिहार pic.twitter.com/qNDaoRvUJW

— Congress (@INCIndia) August 26, 2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, on his trip to Bihar, had nothing to say to address the Opposition's campaign, seemingly.

Gandhi, for his part, has spearheaded the INDIA bloc's attack on the NDA government at the Centre — as well as the alliance in Bihar, with chief minister Nitish Kumar. He has repeatedly alleged that the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls here is "an institutionalised attempt by the Election Commission to steal votes to help the BJP".

Gandhi has had the vocal support of other INDIA bloc leaders, with Tejashwi Yadav sharing several instances of duplicate voter IDs among BJP leaders and supporters, while CPI(M-L) Liberation's Dipankar Bhattacharya pointed out issues with the way the SIR is being conducted.

These issues have been the focus of the public awareness campaign that is the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' — part of a three-part anti-'Vote Chori' project ahead of the Bihar assembly elections this year as well as other state elections ahead in 2026. The next SIR exercise is supposed to 'benefit' West Bengal, going to the polls next year, for instance. Assam is on the cards as well.

Assam: Gaurav Gogoi announces campaign to complement Bihar’s Voter Adhikar Yatra

Today's progress for the Yatra takes it through Phulparas and Sakari in Madhubani to Darbhanga.

The 16-day yatra, which began on 17 August from Sasaram, will conclude with a rally in Patna on 1 September 1, having covered a 1,300 km swathe across the state by then.

The yatra has thus far passed through Gaya, Nawada, Sheikhpura, Lakhisarai, Munger, Katihar and Purnea districts. Going forward, it will pass Sitamarhi, West Champaran, Saran, Bhojpur and Patna as well.