‘Sheer elitism’ – Prashant Kishor mocks Rahul Gandhi’s ‘yatra’, questions ‘vote chori’ pitch ahead of Bihar polls

Bihar Elections 2025: Election strategist-turned politicain, Prashant Kishor has said the hype over Rahul Gandhi's recent 1,300-km ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ was ‘sheer elitism’ while questioning the outcome of travelling through ‘some districts’ of poll-bound Bihar and talking of 'vote chori.'

“It is sheer elitism to call a 10-odd-day trip of Rahul Gandhi to Bihar a ‘yatra’. The media pays him too much attention because he is the son of a former prime minister. I have been travelling through the length and breadth of Bihar for three years, but not many are talking about it,” Kishor, the Jan Suraaj Party chief told Indian Express in an interview.

‘None of them is talking about Bihar’

Kishor, whose party is contesting the upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections for the first time asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress are not talking about real issues in Bihar. Both infiltration issue by the BJP and ‘vote chori’ by the Congress led by Rahul Gandhi are not relevant issues in the poll-bound state, Kishor said.

"Whether Rahul Gandhi talks of vote chori or PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah talk about ghuspaithiya, the thing is none of them is talking about Bihar, the migration from the state, unemployment or the state of education. Narendra Modi has been in government for over 11 years now, Amit Shah is supposed to be an efficient Home Minister, the country’s borders are supposed to be safe under their strong leadership. Then, how do infiltrators get into Kishanganj or Araria or anywhere?… Let Amit Shah first concede his failure to stop infiltration, then we will talk about ghuspaithiya, Kishor said in the interview.

“And, what did Rahul Gandhi try to achieve by travelling through some districts and talking of vote chori? He should rather gherao Parliament and sit on a dharna in front of the EC office in Delhi,” he said adding there are Assembly elections in Bihar and that one should discuss Bihar’s problems.

Our democracy is not weak: Prashant Kishor

Led by Rahul Gandhi, the ‘Voter Adhikar Rally’ in poll-bound Bihar was held last month after the Congress leader's allegation of ‘vote chori’ against the Election Commission and the BJP. The Mahagathbandhan leaders includling RJD's Tejaswi Yadav also accompanied Rahul in the rally in poll-bound state. The rally that culiminated on 1 September covered 1,300-km and passed through 110 assembly constituencies covering 25 of the 38 districts ahead of the upcoming state elections.

Kishor also said that those who are saying one will lose one’s voting rights through the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls are ‘fools.’

“Our democracy is not weak. The Supreme Court has made it clear that anyone who has a valid document is entitled to vote. One who has an Aadhaar card is a voter. There was much debate on the Aadhaar card, but eventually the Supreme Court settled the debate. The EC has no right to determine citizenship. Those who are saying one will lose one’s voting rights are fools,” he said.