'The beginning of another mass movement'

RJD Member of Parliament and former Bihar agriculture minister Sudhakar Singh is known for straight talk and a straight spine. He spoke to Vishwadeepak about the recently concluded Voter Adhikar Yatra — its aim, impact and success on the ground in energising the public and creating a new synergy between the alliance partners of the INDIA bloc, with leaders and workers walking shoulder to shoulder. Excerpts:

After 16 days on the road, what has the Voter Adhikar Yatra achieved?

Its primary objective was to generate public awareness about the complicity and collusion between the Election Commission and the BJP–RSS. We also wanted to signal that we would not allow vote chori, and alert citizens about why it is important to have and exercise their constitutional right to franchise.

The idea was to mobilise the people to ensure that not a single voter is left out from the electoral rolls. To that extent, the yatra has been successful. The slogan ‘vote chor, gaddi chhor’ has resonated with the people. That was evident from the crowds en route — lakhs of people joined the yatra of their own accord.

We believe the original plan (of the ECI) was to disenfranchise 1.5 crore people through the SIR, but because of the yatra, they had to stop at 65 lakh.

Vote theft was linked to employment and the importance of sustaining democracy. Elections will come and go (as will politicians) but this is a fight to protect people’s fundamental rights. Bihar will teach the Election Commission and the Union government a valuable lesson.

Voter Adhikar Yatra unnerves BJP in Bihar

The impact was not confined to Bihar. The participation of M.K. Stalin, Akhilesh Yadav, chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of Congress-ruled states and the presence of Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav throughout the yatra was electrifying. Even independent observers have acknowledged that Bihar hasn’t seen anything like it in the last few decades. Bihar has always resisted injustice and stood for people’s rights. This yatra looks like the beginning of another mass movement.

Did the yatra help bring alliance partners of the INDIA bloc in Bihar closer and improve coordination between party workers on the ground?

Absolutely. Being together for more than two weeks has been very wholesome and positive. We have held joint meetings and rallies in the past, but this was different. I can say that never before has this level of cooperation and coordination between booth-level workers of various parties been witnessed.

Workers of the three communist parties, the Congress and the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) along with RJD workers came together to make the yatra a success. Earlier, only the leaders communicated with each other and the workers were left out. This time, the workers of all the different parties walked side by side and held each other’s flags high. Communication between the partners has never been better.

Will it result in a consolidation of votes?

A section of the media has been saying that, in Bihar, the INDIA bloc’s voters have been slipping away and joining other, newer parties. That bluff has been called. In fact, the deprived and oppressed sections have woken up to the fight being waged by the INDIA bloc.

They could clearly see the difference between our campaign and that of the others. Their confidence in our ability to fight this battle has been renewed, which is why new voters can be expected to swell our ranks.

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What impact will the yatra have at the national level?

Earlier, even our alliance partners were accusing each other of vote-theft but people couldn’t understand how the votes were being stolen. Rahul Gandhi’s press conference clearly demonstrated how voters’ lists were being manipulated; how BJP had won in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

The Voter Adhikar Yatra kicked off soon after, so the timing was perfect — and that helped build momentum and spread awareness.

How do you view Rahul Gandhi’s role in the INDIA bloc?

The Congress is the leading party in the INDIA bloc and Rahul Gandhi is its leader. He is also the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha. He has spoken up on issues concerning the people and has gained acceptance among all sections. His stature at the national level is higher than ever and we do look up to him.

There are reports of a certain degree of uneasiness in the RJD ranks. The suggestion is that the RJD is uneasy with the Congress gaining ground in Bihar.

These are motivated media reports planted by the BJP and the RSS. They are designed to drive a wedge between allies and workers and create confusion. This propaganda was also busted during the yatra. The RJD and the Congress can and will complement each other just as the BJP and the JD(U) did in the past. The two parties are in the same boat and are both being hounded by the BJP–RSS.

The fresh synergy between the RJD and the Congress has caused concern, if not downright panic, within the BJP. They want the two parties to fall out and move apart but unfortunately for them, this is not going to happen.