Kolkata, Aug 30 (IANS) The Trinamool Congress has decided to send its Lok Sabha MP and former cricketer Yusuf Pathan, along with senior leader Lalitesh Tripathi, to participate in the Congress-led Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar on September 1.

Party sources said TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and the party’s Lok Sabha leader Abhishek Banerjee will not be able to attend due to pre-scheduled programmes.

“The party has decided that Yusuf Pathan and Lalitesh Tripathi will represent Trinamool Congress at the September 1 rally,” a senior TMC leader said.

A special session of the West Bengal Assembly is set to begin the same day, where the Chief Minister is expected to be present, while Abhishek Banerjee too has another engagement, party sources said.

Today, Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav joined the “Voter Adhikar Yatra” in Saran district of Bihar. Rohini Acharya, the daughter of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, was also present there.

The Congress party took to social media to announce the participation of Akhilesh Yadav in the Voter Adhikar Yatra.

The yatra is witnessing significant turnout from supporters of the Mahagathbandhan, with all major Opposition leaders jointly addressing the crowd.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had launched the Voter Adhikar Yatra on August 17 to protest against the alleged large-scale deletion of names from Bihar’s electoral rolls. The yatra will culminate in Patna on Monday.

Sources said Trinamool’s participation underlines the opposition INDIA bloc’s unity against the BJP-led government at the Centre.

Opposition parties have alleged that nearly 65 lakh names were deleted from Bihar’s draft electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, calling it a direct assault on people’s right to vote.

Following a Supreme Court order, the Election Commission was directed to publish the deleted names by August 19 and file a compliance report by August 22.

–IANS

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