‘Vote chori’ march: INDIA bloc to stage protest march to EC headquarters, 300 MPs to join
INDIA bloc 'vote chori' march: The protest is a reaction to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, which the INDIA bloc claims is a deliberate effort to disenfranchise certain voter groups.
- Aug 11, 2025,
- Updated Aug 11, 2025 11:23 AM IST
The INDIA bloc is set to stage a protest march to the Election Commission (EC) headquarters today, as part of their ongoing campaign against what they term as 'vote chori' in Bihar. Approximately 300 Members of Parliament from the alliance are expected to participate in this demonstration, which seeks to address alleged electoral malpractices and demand transparency from the EC.
According to Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, the march aims to underscore the need for a clean and auditable voter roll. He stated, "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."
The protest is a reaction to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, which the INDIA bloc claims is a deliberate effort to disenfranchise certain voter groups. Despite the rally's scale, the Delhi Police has stated that no formal permission was sought for this march. This has led to heightened security measures, including barricading along the planned route from Parliament House to the EC office.
Rahul Gandhi has made several serious allegations, asserting that the ruling BJP and the Election Commission colluded to manipulate voter lists. At a recent press conference, he accused the two entities of committing "a huge criminal fraud" and labelled the manipulation "a crime against the Constitution". These claims are based on an analysis of voting patterns in the Mahadevapura constituency in Karnataka, where over 1 lakh votes were reportedly fraudulent.
As part of their campaign, Congress has launched an online initiative to rally public support. Gandhi has also been urged by the Haryana Chief Electoral Officer to substantiate his claims of electoral roll anomalies in the 2024 state elections, highlighting the contentious nature of these accusations.
Apart from Bihar, the INDIA bloc has pointed fingers at suspicious electoral practices in Karnataka as well. Gandhi's allegations include the presence of 11,965 duplicate voters, 40,009 voters with fake or invalid addresses, and thousands more improperly registered. He contends that these discrepancies facilitated the BJP's electoral success in previous elections.
The Election Commission has responded to these charges by requesting Gandhi to submit evidence supporting his claims. In a letter, the EC sought documentation that could verify allegations of multiple voting by individuals, such as the case of voter Shakun Rani, as mentioned by Gandhi.
The INDIA bloc is set to stage a protest march to the Election Commission (EC) headquarters today, as part of their ongoing campaign against what they term as 'vote chori' in Bihar. Approximately 300 Members of Parliament from the alliance are expected to participate in this demonstration, which seeks to address alleged electoral malpractices and demand transparency from the EC.
According to Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, the march aims to underscore the need for a clean and auditable voter roll. He stated, "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."
The protest is a reaction to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, which the INDIA bloc claims is a deliberate effort to disenfranchise certain voter groups. Despite the rally's scale, the Delhi Police has stated that no formal permission was sought for this march. This has led to heightened security measures, including barricading along the planned route from Parliament House to the EC office.
Rahul Gandhi has made several serious allegations, asserting that the ruling BJP and the Election Commission colluded to manipulate voter lists. At a recent press conference, he accused the two entities of committing "a huge criminal fraud" and labelled the manipulation "a crime against the Constitution". These claims are based on an analysis of voting patterns in the Mahadevapura constituency in Karnataka, where over 1 lakh votes were reportedly fraudulent.
As part of their campaign, Congress has launched an online initiative to rally public support. Gandhi has also been urged by the Haryana Chief Electoral Officer to substantiate his claims of electoral roll anomalies in the 2024 state elections, highlighting the contentious nature of these accusations.
Apart from Bihar, the INDIA bloc has pointed fingers at suspicious electoral practices in Karnataka as well. Gandhi's allegations include the presence of 11,965 duplicate voters, 40,009 voters with fake or invalid addresses, and thousands more improperly registered. He contends that these discrepancies facilitated the BJP's electoral success in previous elections.
The Election Commission has responded to these charges by requesting Gandhi to submit evidence supporting his claims. In a letter, the EC sought documentation that could verify allegations of multiple voting by individuals, such as the case of voter Shakun Rani, as mentioned by Gandhi.