Rahul Gandhi Urges Bihar's Gen Z Voters to Counter "Vote Theft" in Assembly Elections

Rahul Gandhi in a video post on X reached out to whom he called "Gen Z"

New Delhi:

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reiterated his "vote chori (theft)" allegation on Wednesday as he appealed to what he termed his "Gen Z brothers and sisters" to determine Bihar's future. The first phase of the two-phase assembly election voting is scheduled for Thursday.

"My young friends of Bihar, my Gen Z brothers and sisters, tomorrow [Thursday] is not just a day of voting, it's the day to decide the future direction of Bihar. Many of you will be voting for the first time," Gandhi stated in his X platform post.

"This is not just your right, It is the greatest responsibility in a democracy," he emphasized.

He urged young voters to participate extensively and support the opposition alliance Mahagathbandhan.

"You have seen how massive vote theft was carried out in Haryana. In Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh - everywhere, these people tried to suppress the voice of the public. Now their eyes are on Bihar, on your vote, on your future," Gandhi, who serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, declared in a video message.

"Stay alert to every conspiracy and manipulation at the booths. The greatest strength of democracy is an aware citizenry. The future of Bihar is in your hands. Defeat this conspiracy of 'vote theft, government theft," he further stated.

Earlier on Wednesday, Gandhi characterized the alleged voter fraud in Haryana as a fundamental assault on India's democratic principles.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday claimed Gandhi is attempting to "mislead and provoke Gen Z" with "fabricated" allegations regarding vote theft in Haryana. Rijiju asserted that India's youth remain "firmly with Prime Minister Modi" and will not be influenced by "imported narratives and conspiracies".

"The games he plays in collusion with anti-India forces will never succeed," Rijiju remarked.

The Bihar election is taking place following a bitter confrontation between the Opposition and the ruling NDA, as well as disputes with the Election Commission concerning the special intensive revision (SIR) voter roll clean-up initiative, which the Opposition claimed was designed to reduce the number of voters potentially supporting the Opposition.

The Election Commission has denied all allegations. The dispute even reached the Supreme Court.

Leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) have described the Opposition's "attack" on the Election Commission and the democratic system as a plot to sow seeds of discord.

The second voting phase is scheduled for November 11, with counting to take place on November 14.