The Congress will hold a major rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, December 14, as part of its nationwide campaign alleging irregularities in the electoral process, including concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of voter rolls.
Branded the ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod’ rally, the protest has been called by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. Party leaders say the event is aimed at putting pressure on the BJP-led central government and the Election Commission over what the Congress claims are serious lapses in electoral management.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is expected to attend the rally. Reddy and Rahul Gandhi travelled together to the national capital from Hyderabad, as per news agency PTI.
The Congress party has said it will intensify its “vote chori” campaign through the rally, accusing the government and the Election Commission of colluding to manipulate elections.
Former Chhattisgarh chief minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel said the rally was meant to consolidate public opinion and signal the party’s readiness for a prolonged political battle. “This is a step towards a decisive struggle. We expect massive participation from across the country,” Baghel said.
Party units across several states have mobilised supporters for the event.
Jharkhand Congress president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh said large contingents of workers and leaders from the state had already reached Delhi following directions from the central leadership. He described the rally as a landmark programme, with participation from representatives across all districts and allied organisations.
From Jammu and Kashmir, over 1,000 Congress leaders and workers left for Delhi on Saturday, December 13. The convoy was flagged off by Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra, as party workers raised slogans alleging electoral manipulation. Karra said the campaign was driven by claims of widespread irregularities in voter lists and election conduct, which he argued had eroded public trust in democratic institutions.
Congress MP KC Venugopal said the rally was part of a broader movement questioning the functioning of the Election Commission. He claimed the party had collected over five crore signatures nationwide on the issue and planned to submit them to President Droupadi Murmu. Venugopal added that the matter has been repeatedly raised by the opposition during the ongoing Parliament’s winter session.
The party has stepped up its criticism of the Election Commission following the Supreme Court’s decision allowing the continuation of the SIR of electoral rolls, even as the court advised the poll panel to consider additional documents such as Aadhaar and ration cards for voter identification.
The rally comes amid heightened political rhetoric over alleged “vote chori”. Earlier this week, the issue led to a heated exchange in the Lok Sabha between Home Minister Amit Shah and Rahul Gandhi, culminating in a walkout by opposition members.
