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INDIA bloc MPs to march from Parliament to Election Commission tomorrow over ‘vote chori’ claims
The march follows Rahul Gandhi’s charge that the Election Commission colluded with the BJP, citing alleged vote theft in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura seat.
MPs from the INDIA bloc, led by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, will march from Parliament to the Election Commission on Monday to protest what they allege is “vote chori” (vote theft) through the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Sources said the alliance’s floor leaders are also expected to meet the Election Commissioners to formally register their objections. The march is expected to begin from Parliament at around 11.30 am.
The Opposition's protest comes days after Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP, citing a Congress analysis of the Mahadevapura assembly seat in Karnataka, where he alleged that nearly one lakh votes were “stolen”.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi reiterated his allegations of “vote chori” (vote theft) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, stressing that a “clean” voter roll is essential for free and fair polls.
Linking the issue to a broader fight to “protect” democracy, the Congress MP said on X, “Vote chori is an attack on the foundational idea of ‘one man, one vote’. A clean voter roll is imperative for free and fair elections. Our demand from the EC is clear — be transparent and release digital voter rolls so that people and parties can audit them. This fight is to protect our democracy.”
Congress general secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal likened the fight against alleged voter list manipulation to a “do-or-die” mission to save Indian democracy, and said the party will discuss its next steps in the nationwide campaign at an upcoming meeting.
“Just as Bapu gave us the “Do or Die” call during the Quit India movement, we today must embark upon a similar do-or-die mission to save Indian democracy,” Venugopal wrote on X.
He said that the party will hold a meeting of its general secretaries, in-charges, and frontal organisation heads on August 11, chaired by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, to plan the next phase of its nationwide campaign against alleged voter list manipulation and election fraud.
