INDI Leaders Meet Prez, Demand Removal Of Gyanesh Kumar & Return Of Ballot Papers In Elections

New Delhi: A 10-member delegation of the INDI Alliance met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday and submitted a memorandum seeking her intervention to remove Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls. The meeting reportedly lasted nearly an hour as the opposition escalated the campaign against the Election Commission.

Before the meeting with the President, the MPs belonging to the alliance marched from Parliament House towards Rashtrapati Bhavan at around 8 pm carrying a large "Save Democracy" banner. The Delhi police halted the procession at Vijay Chowk by putting up barricades, after which several leaders staged a sit-in at the spot while the 10-member delegation proceeded to meet President Murmu.

After the meeting, the opposition leaders asserted that the President had asked for evidence on their charges, calling the exchange as striking. Those who joined the street protest included Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Congress MP KC Venugopal, MP Mahua Moitra and Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, among others.

What Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee And Kharge Said After Meeting President

Speaking after the meeting, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi stated that he was "shocked" that the President had not denied or questioned the opposition's allegations of electoral fraud. He said, "We clearly said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar are conspiring against Indian democracy. The President did not deny, question or argue against any of our statements. She accepted what we said and then told us that we needed to provide her with proof of electoral fraud."

He added that proof of alleged vote theft was already in the public domain. "I told her that the evidence of vote theft is known to the entire country. State after state has been stolen, and yet the President wants us to provide her with proof. We will be happy to submit it to her," he said.

Former Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee stated that President Murmu had assured the delegation that she would examine the details and investigate the allegations. "We have submitted a memorandum. We have taken a positive view of her response, as she said she would investigate, go through the details and that she needed evidence.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that the opposition had raised concerns about alleged attempts by the BJP to undermine democracy. He stated that the President had listened to their concerns and assured them that she would examine the matter, consult the relevant parties and decide on the appropriate course of action. Kharge also reiterated the opposition's demand that EVMs be set aside and elections be conducted using ballot papers, adding that the INDI bloc was compiling the evidence sought by the President and would submit it to her.

INDI Alliance Ballot Paper Demand

The delegation which met the President included Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Mamata Banerjee, CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby, CPI's D Raja, Samajwadi Party leader Rajeev Rai, NCP(SP) leader Supriya Sule, Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah, RJD MP Manoj Jha and VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan.

At the protest site at Vijay Chowk, Congress MP Pawan Khera emphasised that the delegation would submit the memorandum while the peaceful demonstration continued outside. He said, "10 members are going inside to submit a memorandum. The peaceful protest will continue. Our agitation will go on; it will not stop until we achieve our goal." He listed demands, which sought Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and the repeal of 2023 law that provides life-long immunity to the CEC and ECs, suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and restoration of the names of 13.8 crore people to the rolls, a return to paper ballots for all elections and repeal of all Assembly elections over the last two years in which conclusive evidence of “vote chori” has been presented..

Earlier, INDI Alliance MPs had met at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan to discuss strategy for intensifying the agitation over alleged "vote chori" and demand Gyanesh Kumar's removal. Addressing the MPs, Rahul Gandhi claimed the opposition's protests had "shaken the foundations" of the government and alleged the ruling establishment was now scared. "There is a much deeper problem than Gyanesh Kumar. It requires termination of this government," he said.

The agitation followed a media report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on record at least 14 times over the preceding 10 months, primarily concerning decisions related to the SIR. The Election Commission has maintained that differing views and observations are normal during institutional deliberations and that the orders follow established statutory procedures. The INDI bloc has announced a joint action plan on the SIR issue, including rallies and "Save Democracy" marches.