On Sunday, December 14, the Congress will organize a significant rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, as part of its national campaign alleging discrepancies in the electoral process, particularly regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls.
Dubbed the ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod’ rally, this protest has been called by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. Party officials state that the event is intended to apply pressure on the BJP-led central government and the Election Commission, due to the Congress’s claims of substantial flaws in electoral management.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is anticipated to join the rally. Reddy, along with Rahul Gandhi, traveled to the national capital from Hyderabad, according to news agency PTI.
The Congress party has declared its intent to escalate its “vote chori” campaign through this rally, alleging that the government and the Election Commission are complicit in manipulating the election results.
Senior Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel stated that the rally aims to unify public sentiment and demonstrate the party’s preparedness for an extended political struggle. “This marks the beginning of a decisive fight. We anticipate substantial participation from all over the country,” Baghel announced.
Congress units in various states have rallied supporters for this event.
Jharkhand Congress president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh mentioned that significant numbers of workers and leaders from the state have already arrived in Delhi, following instructions from the central leadership. He termed the rally a historic event, featuring representatives from all districts and allied organizations.
Over 1,000 Congress leaders and workers from Jammu and Kashmir set out for Delhi on Saturday, December 13. The convoy was sent off by Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra, with party members raising slogans accusing electoral manipulation. Karra emphasized that the campaign was driven by reports of widespread inconsistencies in voter lists and election conduct, undermining public trust in democratic institutions.
Congress MP KC Venugopal indicated that the rally is a part of a larger movement challenging the functioning of the Election Commission. He asserted that the party has gathered over five crore signatures nationwide on this issue and intends to present them to President Droupadi Murmu. Additionally, Venugopal mentioned that the topic has been persistently raised by the opposition during the ongoing winter session of Parliament.
The party has intensified its criticism of the Election Commission following the Supreme Court’s ruling allowing the continuation of the SIR of electoral rolls, while advising the poll panel to take additional documentation such as Aadhaar and ration cards into account for voter identification.
This rally unfolds amidst escalating political discourse surrounding the alleged “vote chori”. Earlier this week, the matter sparked a heated debate in the Lok Sabha between Home Minister Amit Shah and Rahul Gandhi, resulting in a walkout by opposition members.
