Patna: Rahul Gandhi will visit Bihar for the sixth time this year as he joins Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and other opposition leaders in Patna on Wednesday to protest against the Election Commission’s decision for a special intensive revision of the voter list. The opposition parties have called for a Bihar Bandh, accusing the Commission of working at the behest of the central government.
Congress leaders said Rahul will march alongside Tejashwi in what is being seen as a show of unity ahead of the assembly elections later this year. “The Constitution is under threat and the Election Commission must not become Modi’s commission,” said Sushil Pasi, co-incharge of Bihar Congress, adding that the voter list revision should have been completed much earlier.
This will be Rahul’s third street protest in Bihar this year. Previously, he joined the ‘Palan Roko Naukari Do Padyatra’ in Begusarai on April 7 and walked to the venue of the Shiksha Nyay Yatra in Darbhanga on May 15 when the administration denied permission for his convoy.
Analysts say Rahul is trying to rebuild Congress’s base in Bihar after decades of playing second fiddle to RJD. “Congress is contesting on the front foot this time. They are focusing on seats with strong support and distancing leadership from Lalu Prasad’s influence,” said senior journalist Indra Bhushan.
However, challenges remain. “The Congress organisation is weak at the district level and connecting with the youth is the party’s biggest task,” said Sunil Pandey, another senior journalist. Rahul has sent Kanhaiya Kumar and the Youth Congress team to mobilise young voters, particularly around issues of employment.
