Doubling down on his "Vote-Chori" charge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday, appealed to Bihar’s young electorate, ahead of the state's high stakes first phase of the two-stage assembly election. Gandhi called upon his “Gen Z brothers and sisters”, to play a decisive role in shaping Bihar's future.
Taking to social media platform X, Gandhi urged the first-time voters to recognise the significance of the moment. “My young friends of Bihar, tomorrow is not just a day to cast your votes, it is a day to determine the direction in which Bihar will move forward. Many of you will be voting for the first time. This is not merely your right; it is the greatest responsibility in a democracy," said Gandhi.
The senior Congress leader urged young voters to turn out in large numbers and support the Opposition’s Mahagathbandhan alliance. He alleged that attempts to manipulate the electoral process were being made in several states and warned that Bihar could be next.
“You have witnessed the massive vote theft in Haryana. The same attempts were made in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, efforts to silence the voice of the people. Now their eyes are on Bihar, on your vote, and on your future,” said Rahul Gandhi in a video message.
He cautioned voters to remain vigilant against “conspiracies and manipulations” at polling booths. “The greatest strength of democracy lies in an informed and aware citizenry. The future of Bihar is in your hands. Defeat this conspiracy of vote theft and government theft,” Gandhi said.
Earlier in the day, Gandhi had described the alleged voter fraud in Haryana as a “fundamental attack” on India’s democracy.
Responding to the allegations, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju accused Gandhi of trying to “mislead and provoke” young voters through what he called “fabricated claims” of vote theft. Rijiju said that India’s youth “stand firmly with Prime Minister Modi” and will not be swayed by “imported narratives and conspiracies”. “The games he plays in collusion with anti-India forces will never succeed,” the minister added.
The Bihar Assembly election begins its first phase of polling at 7am on Thursday. Polling will be held across 121 constituencies spread over 18 districts, with more than 7.4 crore voters, including around 14 lakh first-time voters, eligible to cast their ballots. The election, being conducted in two phases on 6 and 11 November, will determine the fate of 243 Assembly seats, while the counting of votes for all constituencies is scheduled for 14 November.
The contest pits the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) against the opposition Mahagathbandhan in what is expected to be a fierce electoral battle. Adding a new element to the political landscape, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party is contesting its first election, making its debut in the state’s political arena. In this opening phase, a total of 1,314 candidates are in the fray.
