Bhubaneswar, Odisha : The Odisha Pradesh Youth Congress launched a statewide campaign on Saturday, urging citizens to raise their voice against alleged vote theft and protect democracy. At a press conference in Congress Bhawan, State Youth Congress president Ranjit Patra unveiled a poster titled “Stop Vote Theft” and accused the BJP and the Election Commission of colluding in electoral malpractice.

Youth Congress workers pasted posters on vehicles near the Congress headquarters and distributed them in public places to spread awareness. They announced that they will hold roadside meetings across Odisha to take Rahul Gandhi’s revelations on alleged vote manipulation to villages and towns. Pamphlets will also highlight what they called widespread irregularities.

Patra said, “The government must answer the people. If the Election Commission faces questions on vote theft, why does the BJP feel the pain? Their reaction itself proves the nexus.” He claimed that both the central and state BJP governments came to power not through fair elections but by stealing votes.

Former State NSUI president and Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha Congress candidate Yasir Nawaz backed Rahul Gandhi. He alleged that the Election Commission ignored Rahul’s questions and allowed the ruling party to intimidate him. “Instead of providing answers, BJP leaders divert the issue—sometimes blaming Nehru, sometimes targeting Rahul Gandhi,” Nawaz said.

He listed instances of voter fraud:

• Bihar: Around 65 lakh voters lost their rights until the Supreme Court intervened.

• Odisha: Nearly 42 lakh votes appeared after 5 PM during the last polls, helping BJP secure 20 out of 21 seats.

• Karnataka & Maharashtra: Inflated voter lists showed fake entries, including one family of two with 80 fake registrations. Maharashtra’s voter count rose by 45 lakh within six months.

Nawaz argued, “Rajiv Gandhi empowered youth by reducing the voting age to 18. Today, the BJP government is stealing away that right through manipulation.”

Patra pledged that the Youth Congress will continue its movement against the alleged BJP–EC nexus. “Rahul Gandhi asked for data. Instead of sharing it, they try to erase evidence. We will not stop until accountability is fixed,” he said.

Several Youth Congress leaders, including Nihar Behera, Abhijit Jena, Javed Akhtar, and Mohammad Gulfam, joined the protest campaign.