Congress’ ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ to Conclude in Patna with Gandhi-to-Ambedkar Padyatra

Patna, Sept 2025 : The Congress party’s ongoing ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar is set to conclude on Monday with a symbolic padyatra (foot march) at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan, underscoring the Opposition’s push to highlight electoral rights and alleged irregularities in the state’s voter rolls.

The concluding march, titled ‘Gandhi se Ambedkar’, will cover nearly four kilometres. Beginning at Gandhi Maidan’s Gate No. 1 at 10 a.m., the padyatra will pass through SP Verma Road, Dakbangla Chauraha, Kotwali Police Station, Income Tax Golambar, and Nehru Path before reaching the Ambedkar statue. Organisers expect around one lakh participants, including senior leaders from across the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance).

The campaign has covered 25 districts and more than 1,300 km since its launch on August 17 in Sasaram. Along the way, it passed through Aurangabad, Gaya, Nalanda, Munger, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Purnea, Araria, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, East and West Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan, Chhapra, and Ara before reaching Patna.

Monday’s concluding event will see the participation of top leaders from the INDIA bloc. Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, CPI-ML general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani are scheduled to lead the procession from Gandhi Maidan to Ambedkar Park.

The Voter Adhikar Yatra was launched in protest against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive, which opposition parties allege is being used to manipulate electoral rolls. Throughout the campaign, leaders of the INDIA bloc have accused the ruling BJP of colluding with the Election Commission to disenfranchise voters.

The yatra has also attracted the participation of several prominent opposition figures from outside Bihar. Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav joined the march in Saran district, while Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin extended his support earlier this month.

By framing the yatra as a mass movement against “vote theft,” the Opposition hopes to build momentum ahead of the Assembly elections in Bihar. The padyatra from Gandhi to Ambedkar is being projected not only as the culmination of the campaign but also as a symbolic call for unity, justice, and democratic rights.