MUZAFFARPUR: DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar and launched a sharp attack on the BJP, accusing it of undermining democratic processes through alleged large-scale irregularities in the revision of the electoral rolls.
Stalin, accompanied by his sister and DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, participated in the yatra alongside other INDIA bloc leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, and CPI (ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya.
Addressing a large gathering in Muzaffarpur, Stalin alleged that the BJP-controlled government was behind the deletion of nearly 65 lakh names from the voters’ list in Bihar, calling it a “democratic massacre” and “worse than terrorism”.
He said, “I have travelled nearly 2,000 kilometres to stand in solidarity with the people of Bihar. Even those with valid identity cards are being struck off as if they do not exist. What can be more dangerous than this?” Speaking in Tamil, which was translated for the crowd, Stalin received enthusiastic applause.
“For the past one month, the entire nation has been looking keenly at Bihar... the Election Commission has become a remote-controlled puppet,” he alleged, pointing to the deletion of names from the electoral rolls during the special intensive revision. “Is the deletion of names of 65 lakh people not worse than terrorism?” he asked.
He further criticised the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar for allegedly challenging Rahul Gandhi to submit an affidavit when he raised concerns over the fairness of previous elections. “But you cannot scare Rahul Gandhi,” Stalin said. “I have seen Rahul’s camaraderie with Tejashwi, who ride motorcycles together. This friendship is deeper than a run-of-the-mill political partnership. And I am sure that if the elections are free and fair, the BJP-led NDA will be defeated,” he asserted.
The Tamil Nadu CM began his speech by recalling the political legacy of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and praised Tejashwi Yadav for “tirelessly championing social justice and never getting cowed down by the BJP”. Stalin added, “I promise you that after the INDIA bloc wins the assembly polls, I will be back to attend the swearing-in ceremony.”
In a social media post shortly after landing in Bihar, Stalin wrote, “Touchdown #Bihar. The land of respected @laluprasadrjd greets me with fire in its eyes, the soil heavy with every stolen vote. Joined my brothers @RahulGandhi, @yadavtejashwi and sister @priyankagandhi as the #voteadhikaryatra turns people's pain into unstoppable strength.”
Rahul Gandhi, too, shared a selfie with Stalin and other leaders, writing, “Welcome to Bihar and the #VoterAdhikarYatra my brother Thiru @mkstalin. Your presence here strengthens our fight against Vote Chori in Bihar and the entire country.”
Kanimozhi, in a post after the march, said the protest aimed to highlight what she described as the “institutional capture” by the BJP and the role of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in enabling “independent India’s biggest vote theft.”
She wrote, “A government born out of questionable voting is not the people’s government. This is a march to defend democracy, protect the Constitution, and uphold the people’s mandate.”
Stalin also took a swipe at the BJP’s past electoral claims. Highlighting the INDIA bloc’s performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he said the BJP, which had projected confidence of securing over 400 seats, was limited to 240. He credited Bihar for playing a crucial role in curbing the BJP’s dominance and predicted that the upcoming assembly polls would be “another turning point”.
Back in Tamil Nadu, the BJP sought to use Stalin’s Bihar visit to highlight alleged anti-north Indian sentiments expressed by DMK leaders in the past. Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai shared video clips of allegedly derogatory remarks made by Stalin and his cabinet colleagues about Biharis and north Indians.
In a sarcastic post, Annamalai wrote that he hoped Stalin “proudly repeats... every one of those insults in front of the very people he and his party members mocked”.
The DMK leaders’ participation in the yatra reaffirms the party’s continued support for the INDIA bloc’s efforts to challenge the BJP ahead of key state elections, particularly in Bihar, where the alliance seeks to consolidate its momentum following its performance in the Lok Sabha polls.
(With inputs from PTI)