“In Bihar, they are now carrying out vote theft in a new manner, right before your eyes. But we will stop this,” he asserted. He also warned that voter cards being struck off could be followed by ration cards and land being “handed over to Adani and Ambani”.

Rahul Gandhi said economic policies such as demonetisation and GST had only served a few billionaires while farmers, workers, small traders and youth suffered without jobs. “You give resources to this country, yet it cannot give you employment. That must change, and that is why we have started this yatra,” he said.

During his address, Rahul Gandhi invited a local whose name had been removed from the electoral roll to share his experience. The man said he had served as a polling agent during the Lok Sabha polls but his name had been struck off in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. “There are lakhs like him in Bihar,” Rahul Gandhi said.

The Voter Adhikar Yatra, which began in Gaya and entered Nawada on Tuesday, will cover districts including Nalanda, Munger, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Purnea, Araria, Darbhanga and Champaran, before concluding with a rally in Patna on 1 September. Like the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra earlier this year, it is being conducted in a hybrid mode — partly on foot and partly by vehicle.

With PTI inputs