Highlights of Press Briefing of Shri Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha), and other senior leaders of the Mahagathbandhan addressed Joint Press Conference in District Circuit House, Araria (Bihar) on August 24, 2025.

Shri Rahul Gandhi said- The Yatra has been very successful, and people are joining it organically. We’re not calling them — they’re coming naturally. And it’s clear that the issue we raised — the issue of vote theft — is something that crores of people in Bihar believe in, not just lakhs but crores. They accept it, and that’s why you’re seeing this kind of response. It is the Election Commission’s responsibility to provide an accurate voter list, but they failed to do so in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Karnataka. All of our pressure is aimed at changing the behavior of the Election Commission — and we will not back down.

As I’ve said before, we will not let you steal the election in Bihar. Do whatever you want… you stole Maharashtra election, you stole Haryana election, and we clearly showed that vote theft happened in Karnataka. But here, we will not let it happen.

On a question that you are accused of misleading people, tarnishing the image of the Election Commission? Shri Rahul Gandhi said that you should see the position of the Election Commission clearly. I presented the data in front of them in Karnataka, Mahadevapura... black and white. There has been no answer to those questions till date. Where did the one lakh fake voters come from, how did they come, who were they... the Election Commission did not answer that. I was giving a press conference, during which the Election Commission said that Rahul Gandhi should give an affidavit and if he does not give the affidavit, we will not accept (the matter of vote theft).A few days later, Anurag Thakur of BJP held a similar press conference. Meaning... he was repeating what we had been saying. I don’t know where he got this idea from, who gave it to him... but he did it. But the Election Commission does not ask for an affidavit from him. I said the same thing and they replied... it does not make any difference. I said look, these are fake voters... Anurag Thakur said- these are fake voters and within five minutes an affidavit is asked from me and till date no affidavit has been asked from Anurag Thakur.

So, you know clearly, the media knows with whom the Election Commission is standing. If they were neutral, they would have immediately sent an affidavit to Anurag Thakur… they would have asked him to give the affidavit. So, they are not neutral and what we are saying is that SIR is an institutionalized way of stealing in Bihar. You said that the names of lakhs of voters have been deleted, the opposition is complaining but the BJP is not complaining even once. They have not said anywhere that the names of voters are being deleted. This is the truth that the names of voters have been deleted. 65 lakhs have been deleted but the BJP is not saying anything. Why… because there is a partnership. There is a partnership between the Election Commission… the Election Commissioners and the BJP… so this is it.

On another question that if your government is formed in Bihar, what will you do for the farmers, different from the current government? Shri Rahul Gandhi said that there are different ideas for farmers in our national manifesto. We will together prepare a manifesto here and work for the same is going on. But the basic idea is that the farmers of India, Bihar should be protected... the burden of debt on them should be reduced. Farmers are attacked at the last minute... by not providing export, import, storage facilities... we want to work on those things, but Bihar-specifically... our manifesto committee is working on it.

On another question, the Election Commission says that the people whose names we have deleted have either migrated from here or have been found dead; we have not deleted the names of the genuine voters... what will you say on this?

Shri Rahul Gandhi said that they should roam around a bit in Bihar. I mean... everyday we are meeting people... who are alive, but they have been declared dead. They have voted five-six times, but their votes have been deleted. So, I don’t know what the Election Commission is talking about. Go to Bihar a bit... just now here on the road, someone told me that my vote has been deleted. Look, let me tell you something very interesting. Now I did the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’... after that I have travelled from Manipur to Maharashtra, Mumbai and this is the third journey- ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’. A very interesting thing is coming out in this, which was not there in the previous two yatras. What is happening in this, small children are coming... it is a very strange phenomenon, small children are coming. They are coming to me and whispering in my ears- ‘Vote thief, leave the throne’. One after the other... I mean... these are not adults, they are small children. Now a small six-year-old child has come to know and not just one, I mean… many are coming, thousands. Wherever I am going – ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod’… ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod’… ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod’. Now the Election Commission should go and talk to these children, they will find out… but it is a very unique phenomenon, because what does it mean that it has now penetrated deeply… because you consider the fact that the children of Bihar have become politically active. Every child has become politically active. So, it is a very interesting phenomenon and the Election Commission should think about it.

In response to another question, Shri Rahul Gandhi said that a very good partnership has been formed. We mean... all the parties are working together. There is no tension and there is mutual respect, we are helping each other... so it is fun too. We are ideologically aligned, politically aligned... so the result will be very good. But ‘vote theft’ has to be stopped.