Voter Adhikar Yatra: Akhilesh’s entry in Rahul Gandhi’s march, plan behind moves in Chhapra and Bhojpur

Voter Adhikar Yatra: The countdown to the Bihar Assembly elections has begun. Although the date hasn't been officially announced, it's expected to be declared in the first week of October. The opposition has taken to the streets, focusing on voter list revision to improve their chances in the upcoming election. This has sparked a political uproar across Bihar and the entire country, with the opposition launching attacks on this issue from Parliament to the streets. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, have been undertaking the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' across Bihar for the past 14 days, engaging with the public and highlighting irregularities in the voter lists.

Akhilesh Yadav to Participate from Chhapra to Ara

This Yatra is now in its final leg. To bolster the campaign, Akhilesh Yadav, the chief of the Samajwadi Party (SP), the main opposition party in Uttar Pradesh, joined the Yatra today. Akhilesh Yadav has joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in this Yatra. Akhilesh Yadav will participate in the Yatra from Chhapra to Ara, after which he will return to Uttar Pradesh. Political analysts suggest that Akhilesh Yadav's inclusion in the Yatra is part of a specific strategy in view of the Bihar Assembly elections.

Benefits of Akhilesh's Participation

By including Akhilesh Yadav, the Mahagatbandhan (grand alliance) constituent parties aim to consolidate their Muslim-Yadav (M-Y) equation in Bihar. This is also seen as an attempt to transform it into a P-D-A (backward, Dalit, and minority) equation. Furthermore, Rahul Gandhi, by including the SP leader, hopes to appeal to voters in the border regions of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The areas where Akhilesh Yadav joined the Voter Adhikar Yatra are Saran and Bhojpur, both bordering Ballia. The border regions of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh share deep linguistic, cultural, and social ties, with strong familial connections. This is clearly reflected in the politics of these areas.

Attempting to Replicate 2020 Performance

The Mahagatbandhan aims to replicate its performance in the 2020 Assembly elections. In the previous Bihar Assembly elections, the Mahagatbandhan won six out of eight seats in Siwan district, seven out of ten in Saran district, and five out of seven in Bhojpur district. The Mahagatbandhan seeks to repeat this success. This time, the opposition Mahagatbandhan in Bihar appears to be employing a different pre-election strategy. The Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav Voter Adhikar Yatra reflects a micro-level election strategy, with careful consideration given to which leader participates where. The Mahagatbandhan strategically chose areas where the SP holds influence for Akhilesh's participation. Similarly, Priyanka Gandhi joined the Yatra in the Mithilanchal region, performing a puja at the Janaki temple – an area considered a BJP stronghold.