NEW DELHI: Hours after holding the third of his “vote chori” press conferences, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday — on the eve of the first phase of polling in Bihar — once again appealed to “Gen Z” voters to help “save” India’s democracy – through truth and non-violence.“My young friends from Bihar, my Gen-Z brothers and sisters — tomorrow is not just a day for voting, but a day to decide the direction of Bihar’s future,” Gandhi said in a video posted on his X handle. “Many of you will be voting for the first time — this is not just your right, but democracy’s greatest responsibility. You’ve seen how in Haryana, a nefarious game of vote theft was played. In Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh — everywhere, these people have tried to suppress the people’s voice. Now their eyes are on Bihar, on your votes, on your future,” he added, referring to states where he has alleged electoral manipulation. The Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition also urged young voters to turn out in large numbers and support the Mahagathbandhan candidate in their respective constituencies. The Rashtriya Janata Dal-led Mahagathbandhan is the opposition alliance in Bihar seeking to unseat the ruling National Democratic Alliance. The Congress is a Mahagathbandhan constituent.“Stay vigilant against every conspiracy, every manipulation at the booth – democracy’s greatest strength is an aware public. Bihar’s future is in your hands – Defeat this conspiracy of ‘stealing votes and forming government this way.’ Walk the path of truth and non-violence and save democracy with your vote, awaken Bihar,” Gandhi said.Earlier, the Raebareli MP held a press conference at the Congress headquarters in Delhi, unveiling what he had been referring to as a “hydrogen bomb.” He alleged that the BJP had “stolen” Haryana from the Congress by adding 25 lakh fake voters in “collusion” with the Election Commission — a charge the poll body dismissed, as it had on the previous two occasions.The grand old party had “refused” to accept the results of the Haryana assembly elections, held in October last year. The first phase of polling in Bihar will cover 121 assembly constituencies, while the remaining 122 seats will go to the polls in the second and final phase on November 11. Counting of votes for both rounds is scheduled for November 14.“Gen Z” is a reference to the wave of youth-led movements that have toppled governments in several of India’s neighbouring countries — most recently in Nepal, following similar uprisings in Bangladesh in 2024 and Sri Lanka in 2022. Similar protests have also been witnessed in other nations.
