Chakka jam brings Bihar to a halt

The Chakka Jam began in Bihar on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, to protest against the Election Commission's ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in the state.

The Chakka Jam affected normal life as thousands of leaders, workers, and supporters from the RJD, Congress, Left parties, and VIP took to the streets.

Reports from districts across the state say protestors have halted several long-route trains at different railway stations, blocked national highways, burned tyres, and blocked roads.

Protestors brought buffaloes with them on roads in Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, and Samastipur districts.

A large number of protestors is expected to take to Patna's streets later in the day when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav join the Chakka Jam in the state capital.

Rahul, Tejashwi, and CPI (ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya will march from the Income Tax roundabout to the State Election Commission office along with hundreds of supporters to protest the Special Intensive Revision in Bihar ahead of the assembly election.

Opposition leaders have stated that the Election Commission exercise will hit the poor, particularly those lacking documents.

Fear of removal of their names from the voting list haunts hundreds of thousands in Bihar who believe it will deprive them of voting in the assembly election later this year.

-- M I Khan in Patna