Patna, August 23: Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, interacted with Makhana farmers in Katihar on Saturday as part of his ongoing 'Voter Adhikar Yatra'. Visuals from the visit showed Gandhi walking through pond alongside farmers, engaging in discussions about their issues. Bihar, which produces nearly 80 percent of India’s Makhana, holds a crucial position in the sector.
On Friday, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav joined Gandhi during the yatra in Bhagalpur. Addressing a rally, Yadav predicted that the upcoming elections would mark the end of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s political reign in the state. “This will be Nitish Kumar’s last election. He will not become the Chief Minister of Bihar again. Do you want an original CM or a duplicate? We must unite and vote for change,” Yadav declared, adding that he intended to bring everyone together under a common cause.
Rahul Gandhi also took to the social media platform X to attack the current government, claiming it lacked legitimacy. “Look at the vote-thief government. This anger is against unemployment, inflation, two decades of poverty, and migration. This is a revolution against the theft of voting rights. The people have awakened—they now understand that a government formed by theft is not a people’s government,” his post read.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced he would join the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar on August 29. “Rahul Gandhi ji has launched a yatra in Bihar. I will be joining it on August 29,” he told reporters.
The 16-day yatra, which began earlier this month, aims to highlight alleged irregularities in the voter list—referred to by opposition leaders as “vote chori” (vote theft). Covering over 1,300 km across 20 districts, the march will culminate in Patna on September 1.
