A delegation of INDIA bloc leaders met President Droupadi Murmu on Friday and submitted a memorandum raising concerns over the Election Commission’s functioning, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged electoral irregularities. The Opposition also demanded the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The delegation included Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, among other Opposition leaders.
The meeting followed several days of protests in Delhi against the Election Commission and what the Opposition has described as “vote chori”.
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien said the four-point memorandum sought Kumar’s removal, an end to the SIR exercise, a return to ballot papers for elections and a review of elections held over the past two years.
Mamata Banerjee Says President Will Examine Concerns
Speaking after the meeting, Banerjee said the delegation had submitted its memorandum and that the President had asked for supporting evidence.
“We have submitted a memorandum. We have seen from a positive outlook that she said she will investigate; she will go through the details, and she needs evidence,” Banerjee said.
She added that the delegation had agreed to provide the material requested by the President.
Banerjee said the Opposition had urged Murmu, as the custodian of the Constitution, to address its concerns and protect democracy.
Rahul Gandhi also spoke about the meeting, alleging that the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and CEC Gyanesh Kumar had conspired to undermine Indian democracy. These were allegations made by the Congress leader.
Gandhi said the President had asked the delegation to provide evidence supporting its claims of electoral irregularities.
“The President in no way denied what we said, questioned what we said, or argued what we said,” he said.
He added that the Opposition would submit the material it had collected when the President was ready to receive it.
Kharge Demands Return to Ballot Papers
Kharge said the delegation had raised concerns about the functioning of the Election Commission and demanded that electronic voting machines (EVMs) be set aside in favour of ballot papers.
“Leaders from our alliance met the President and submitted a memorandum. We went specifically to apprise the President of the agitation we launched four days ago regarding the theft of votes, and we presented our case fully,” Kharge said.
He added that the President had asked the Opposition to submit evidence of alleged electoral irregularities. According to Kharge, the delegation was compiling the relevant material.
The Opposition has argued that electoral roll revisions and the use of EVMs require greater transparency and accountability. The Election Commission has rejected the allegations against its functioning and maintained that its decisions follow established legal and statutory procedures.
Opposition Protests Against SIR Continue
The meeting came after several days of demonstrations by INDIA bloc MPs in the national capital.
Opposition leaders have been protesting the SIR process, alleging that irregularities in electoral rolls could affect voters’ rights. They have also demanded Kumar’s resignation.
The demonstrations included attempts to march towards the Election Commission’s office and Jantar Mantar. Police stopped the marches, and several Opposition MPs were detained during the protests, according to reports.
On Thursday, Opposition leaders gathered at Rajghat, paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and held a silent prayer as part of their campaign.
The controversy has also 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 has maintained that differences of opinion are part of institutional deliberations and that its orders have legal backing.
The President’s office had confirmed a meeting with the INDIA bloc delegation for Friday evening after the Opposition sought her intervention over the poll body’s functioning. The delegation said it would submit further material to support its allegations.
