The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday said no political party had formally sought an appointment with the poll panel before 4 pm, as the INDIA bloc's protest over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls escalated in New Delhi. Track live updates
This came hours after Opposition MPs led by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi marched from Parliament towards the Election Commission headquarters, demanding a meeting with the poll panel and the resignation of chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The march was stopped by police before the leaders could reach the ECI office, following which several Opposition MPs staged a sit-in.
In a press note issued later in the day, the ECI said it was informed by Delhi Police at around 4 pm that a delegation of MPs led by Gandhi wanted to meet the Commission and submit a memorandum.
The poll panel said its established procedure required political parties or joint delegations of parties to seek an appointment through their authorised representatives.
“The Election Commission of India had laid down a procedure in 2025 for meetings with political parties. All political parties have been informed about this procedure and follow it. Whenever a delegation of a political party, or a joint delegation of several parties, wishes to meet the Commission, it seeks an appointment through its duly authorised representative. The meeting is then held at a time mutually agreed upon by both sides,” the statement read.
{{/usCountry}}“The Election Commission of India had laid down a procedure in 2025 for meetings with political parties. All political parties have been informed about this procedure and follow it. Whenever a delegation of a political party, or a joint delegation of several parties, wishes to meet the Commission, it seeks an appointment through its duly authorised representative. The meeting is then held at a time mutually agreed upon by both sides,” the statement read.
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According to the Commission, the Delhi Police's deputy commissioner subsequently informed it that the proposed meeting involved around 240 MPs and was to take place at the Parliament House Annexe. The ECI said it considered the request “unusual” and declined it, citing its protocol that such meetings are held at the Commission's premises.
“When the Election Commission was considering the proposal for the meeting with the MPs after 4 pm today, the DCP of Delhi Police informed it that the meeting being sought was with a group of 240 MPs and that the proposed venue was Parliament House Annexe. The Election Commission considered this request unusual and could not accept it because, as per protocol, such meetings are held only at the premises of the Election Commission of India,” the statement read.
The Commission, however, said it offered to send its most senior serving officer to the Parliament Annexe to receive the memorandum from the MPs. It described the proposal as an unprecedented step, but said the MPs declined it.
“Any political party can request a meeting with the Election Commission at any time, and the Commission can, depending on the availability of time, decide the date and time of the meeting. This is a normal process,” the statement read.
Opposition protests against Gyanesh Kumar
The ECI's statement came amid a major Opposition mobilisation in Delhi over the functioning of the poll panel and the revision of electoral rolls on Tuesday.
The INDIA bloc announced the march after a meeting of Opposition parties on September 30. The parties said they would march from Parliament to Nirvachan Sadan, the ECI headquarters, to demand the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and raise their concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
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The protest began at Parliament's Makar Dwar, with Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and other Opposition leaders joining the march. Protesters carried placards and raised slogans demanding electoral transparency and Kumar's resignation.
Police stopped the march near the NITI Aayog-Akashvani Bhawan stretch, preventing the MPs from proceeding towards Nirvachan Sadan. The Opposition leaders then staged a dharna at the spot. Gandhi was also seen climbing a police barricade while holding the Tricolour as security personnel prevented the march from moving ahead.
Congress MPs Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were later detained by Delhi Police and taken away on a bus after a nearly nine-hour sit-in. About 250 people and other MPs were also detained, as per PTI.
The Opposition has alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise and questioned the functioning of the Election Commission. Gandhi has also alleged that changes were made to Form 6, which is used for voter registration, and has demanded Kumar's resignation. The ECI has rejected the allegations.