A delegation of INDIA bloc leaders met President Droupadi Murmu on Friday to submit a memorandum over alleged ‘vote chori’ (vote theft). This was part of the Congress-led Opposition’s campaign demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and raising concerns over the Election Commission’s handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien said the four-point memorandum submitted to President Droupadi Murmu called for the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, an end to the SIR of electoral rolls, the reintroduction of ballot papers for elections, and a review of elections held over the past two years. Track live updates
The 10-member delegation included Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary MA Baby and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav. The Opposition had sought the President’s intervention over its concerns regarding the functioning of the poll body and alleged irregularities in the electoral roll revision process.
Deep Dive
What demands did the INDIA bloc include in its memorandum to President Murmu?
Why is the INDIA bloc protesting the Election Commission’s SIR process?
Did any party beyond the INDIA bloc support the demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s removal?
The meeting followed three consecutive days of protests by Opposition MPs in the national capital, during which they demanded Kumar’s resignation and raised concerns over electoral transparency and voters’ rights.
INDIA bloc’s allegations against Election Commission
{{/usCountry}}The meeting followed three consecutive days of protests by Opposition MPs in the national capital, during which they demanded Kumar’s resignation and raised concerns over electoral transparency and voters’ rights.
INDIA bloc’s allegations against Election Commission
{{/usCountry}}The Opposition’s latest campaign centres on the SIR exercise, through which electoral rolls are being revised. INDIA bloc leaders have alleged irregularities in the process and questioned the functioning of the Election Commission under Kumar’s leadership.
The controversy intensified following a report by The Indian Express that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over the preceding 10 months, largely concerning decisions and orders linked to the SIR process.
The Election Commission, however, has maintained that differences of opinion are a normal part of institutional deliberations and that its orders have legal backing and comply with established statutory procedures.
Three days of protests in Delhi
The meeting with Murmu came after a series of demonstrations by INDIA bloc MPs against the CEC and the alleged electoral irregularities.
On Tuesday, Opposition leaders attempted to march towards the Election Commission’s office but were stopped by police. Rahul Gandhi and other leaders subsequently staged protests, with several Opposition MPs detained during the demonstrations.
On Wednesday, Opposition leaders attempted to march towards Jantar Mantar and were again detained. The protests continued on Thursday, when leaders gathered at Rajghat, offered floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and held a silent prayer.
During the Rajghat protest, Kharge and other Opposition leaders repeated their demand for accountability over the alleged ‘vote chori’ and called for Kumar’s resignation. Rahul Gandhi said that the agitation would continue until their demands were addressed.
INDIA bloc seeks presidential intervention
The Opposition had initially written to the President’s office on October 2 seeking an appointment. After Rashtrapati Bhavan requested the names of the proposed delegation, the bloc submitted another request on October 5, seeking a meeting on October 7, 8 or 9, according to Congress general secretary K C Venugopal.
The President’s office confirmed an appointment for an INDIA bloc delegation at 8 pm on Friday.