Patna: Bihar’s political battleground is heating up well before assembly election dates are announced. The recently concluded ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, led by Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav, has added fuel to the campaign trail. Beginning on August 17 from Sasaram, the yatra travelled over 1,300 km across 23 districts in 16 days, culminating in Patna on September 1 with a massive show of strength.
The yatra was billed as a movement to highlight alleged irregularities in voter lists and to press the Election Commission on safeguarding electoral rights. The Opposition projected it as a campaign to “save democracy,” while the ruling NDA dismissed it as a ploy to mislead the people.
The finale in Patna drew national attention when Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav joined Rahul and Tejashwi on stage, declaring open support for Tejashwi Yadav as the Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial candidate. “There can be no better CM for Bihar than Tejashwi,” Akhilesh said, making clear that he would stand firmly by him. Analysts believe this move was not just about Bihar but also a signal for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, with Akhilesh pre-empting Congress from playing its own cards in UP.
The grand march from Gandhi Maidan to Ambedkar Park, attended by leaders including Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, TMC’s Yusuf Pathan and others, projected an image of Opposition unity beyond mere electoral alliances. The Congress, long seen as RJD’s junior partner in Bihar, used the yatra to showcase its capacity to draw crowds and set the agenda, with Rahul Gandhi repeatedly raising the issues of “vote theft” and “saving democracy.”
However, the campaign wasn’t without controversy. A remark made in Darbhanga regarding PM Narendra Modi and his mother triggered a storm, with the BJP branding the Opposition “desperate” and pointing to corruption cases against Tejashwi. Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary said Rahul Gandhi’s silence exposed contradictions within the alliance.
Still, the Opposition camp exuded confidence. Tejashwi vowed to replicate in Bihar what Akhilesh achieved in UP—blocking BJP’s “400 paar” dream. Rahul termed the yatra a “battle for the rights of Bihar’s people,” asserting that the public would decide how to safeguard democracy.
While crowd mobilisation has shifted the election narrative towards issues of voting rights and democracy, the ultimate test lies in whether this momentum translates into votes. Bihar’s entrenched caste equations—RJD’s Yadav-Muslim base, Congress’s traditional support, SP’s limited influence, and JMM’s presence—will shape outcomes. Meanwhile, the NDA banks on BJP’s robust organisation and CM Nitish Kumar’s experience, positioning itself as the party of governance against what it calls “dynasty and corruption politics.”
As things stand, Bihar is headed for a direct, high-stakes contest. The ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ has injected fresh energy into the Opposition, and Akhilesh Yadav’s endorsement of Tejashwi has broadened the political canvas, linking Bihar’s battle with Uttar Pradesh’s future. The 2025 assembly elections promise to be among the most riveting in recent memory.
