KATIHAR/patna, Aug. 24 -- Congress leader and leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi unleashed a blistering attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of orchestrating a conspiracy to strip the poor and underprivileged of their constitutional right to vote through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Bihar, mirroring alleged similar tactics adopted in Maharashtra and Haryana. His public address in Katihar as part of the ongoing Voter Adhikar Yatra was intermittently interspersed with slogans "Vote Chor Gaddi Chhodd" (vote thief, vacate the chair) -- a barb aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gandhi painted a grim picture of Bihar under various central government policies, labelling the state "an unemployment hub" as a result of demonetization and a flawed GST regime implemented by the BJP-led central government. "All scopes for jobs for the youth have been blocked due to discontinuation of regular recruitment in the Army, closure of the public sectors and monopolisation of businesses. The power in this government (led by PM Narendra Modi) is confined to a select group, and the businesses are being controlled by a few rich people," Gandhi asserted, linking economic disenfranchisement to electoral manipulation. He also launched an attack on the media for not showing the miseries of common and poor people. He said, "This is not your media. 'Vote Chor Gaddi Chhodd'. Now watch TV in the evening, you will not see this slogan. You will not see it anywhere. You will not see this crowd because this is a crowd of poor people. It is a crowd of labourers, a crowd of farmers... We must not let votes be stolen," Gandhi declared, framing the BJP's actions as an assault on democracy itself. The rally capped a day of grassroots immersion for Gandhi, who earlier waded knee-deep into a makhana farm in Simaria village under Korha assembly constituency. Accompanied by Vikassheel Insaan Party chief Mukesh Sahni, he interacted with labourers harvesting lotus seeds (makhana), or fox nuts, spending over ten minutes learning their techniques. He then visited a processing unit, preparing popped lotus seeds himself under professional guidance. This hands-on approach spotlighted the struggles of makhana farmers and fishermen, largely from Dalit and backward communities, who produce 90% of the global supply but earn less than 1% of profits. Middlemen dominate, selling the product at 1,000-2,000 rupees per kilogram in cities. In an X post, Gandhi amplified their plight: "Bihar produces 90% makhana but the farmers and labourers don't get even 1% profit." Sharing the stage with Rahul, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav sarcastically redefined the NDA as "Nahi Denge Adhikar" (Won't Give Rights), calling on crowds to reject Constitution-threateners. He highlighted corruption, including recoveries of crores of rupees from rural engineers and inaction on an Rs.80,000 crore scam flagged by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). Daring arrest, Yadav branded Modi a "wholesaler and manufacturer of lies" and "vote chor." His boldness came amid personal legal heat: an FIR filed August 22 in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli over a defamatory X post on Modi's Gaya visit, where the PM launched Rs.13,000 crore projects like the Amrit Bharat Express (Gaya-Delhi) and Buddhist Circuit Train (Vaishali-Koderma) for better travel and tourism. Registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 196(1)(a)(b), 356(2)(3), 352, and 353(2) after BJP MLA Milind Ramji Narote's complaint, Yadav dismissed it in Katihar: "I am unafraid of any FIR. Has using the term 'jumla' become a punishable offence? The BJP seems rattled by the truth we speak." CPI(ML) leader Dipankar Bhattacharya also spoke, while deputy chief minister of Karnataka DK Shivakumar was also present on stage. Congress leader Shakil Ahmed Khan backed Yadav, comparing the yatra to the independence movement: "Even if a thousand FIRs are filed, how does it matter? ... This yatra is to achieve freedom from the ideas of the BJP... We will not let vote chori happen." The Opposition's momentum got a boost at a Katihar media interaction, where Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi and RJD's Qari Sohaib eviscerated the BJP. Pratapgarhi called it a "company of empty promises," with Modi as CEO, Amit Shah as managing director, and chief ministers as franchise partners. He mocked leaders for Ganga oaths during campaigns, only to pollute it in power and cede farmland to industrialists, while dangling jobs before youth in the midst of exam leaks. Sohaib termed it a "marketplace for democracy" with "jo bikega vahi tikega" as motto, accusing MLA buys, Election Commission's complicity, and vote commodification. Joined by AICC spokesperson Ragini Nayak, media in-charge Abhay Dubey, and chairman Rajesh Rathore, Pratapgarhi criticised NDA's voter roll revisions, promising makhana farmer skill programs under an INDIA alliance win. Adding a layer of alliance dynamics, a viral video showed Gandhi's brief, "productive" meeting with Purnea MP Pappu Yadav (Rajesh Ranjan), easing tensions from a July 9 bandh snub where Pappu was allegedly denied van access with Gandhi and Tejashwi. Prof. Subhankar Jha, an analyst, said the development might be relieving for Pappu but it won't change Rahul-Tejashwi equation. Political analysts see the political sabre-rattling as a calculated strategy in Seemanchal and Kosi regions, that contribute 70% of Bihar's total makhana output from cultivation in around 36,000 hectares. Seemanchal's four districts - Purnia, Katihar, Araria, and Kishanganj - hold 24 assembly seats, with a significant Muslim population and 11 Muslim MLAs. Congress won five seats here in 2020, while ally RJD secured one. Prof. N.K. Srivastava, another noted analyst, observed that the area's shift from banana and maize to makhana farming is already visible and Rahul's push could rally growers and labourers ahead of the October-November polls. On its part, Nitish Kumar's JD(U)-led NDA initiated rural outreach on August 22, offering subsidies and a makhana processing unit to address farmer concerns....