Oppn alleges BJP-EC nexus, vows to defeat 'vote theft' in Bihar

New Delhi: Leaders of Bihar's opposition alliance launched the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' at Sasaram on Sunday and cautioned the people against a plot to steal their votes, alleging a BJP-Election Commission (ECI) nexus, even as they vowed to defeat the attempt to manipulate election results through the special intensive revision (SIR) of election rolls.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, 77, braved ill health to join Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav, Mallikarjun Kharge, Dipankar Bhattacharya and other leaders of the alliance.

Addressing the gathering, Gandhi reiterated his charge that elections were being stolen and that the SIR in Bihar in the run-up to the assembly polls was part of such efforts. "I am telling you from this stage that Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections are being stolen in the entire country. Their latest conspiracy is to conduct SIR in Bihar and steal the Bihar elections as well. All of us have come to this stage to tell you that we will not let them steal this election," Gandhi said. "The entire country knows what the Election Commission is doing. Earlier, the country did not know how votes were being stolen. But we made it clear in the press conference (that he held recently) how votes are being stolen. We will put an end to vote theft and expose the truth of SIR."


The Congress asked why the ECI, which had asked him to give a sworn affidavit for alleging fake voters in a Karnataka constituency, didn't seek the same from BJP leaders who alleged electoral irregularities in some seats of opposition leaders.

Gandhi asked people not to trust Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise to hold a caste census and said only the opposition would conduct the exercise after winning the election. "I know that PM Modi is not going to get a true caste census conducted. But the INDIA bloc will ensure a true caste census in the country," he said.

Lalu Prasad, who was given the honour of delivering the final speech, spoke briefly while sitting on the chair. "Choron ko hataiye, BJP ko bhagaiye, aur humein jitaiye (Remove the thieves, chase away the BJP and make us win). And you all, Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav, Mallikarjun Kharge, and all of you, must unite to uproot them and throw them away. Save democracy," said the former chief minister.

His son, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, said the opposition will stand up to the might of the ruling establishment and the ECI. "The BJP people are getting the Election Commission to do the work that they are unable to do themselves, which means they are snatching your rights from you," Yadav said.