Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will host a dinner for MPs of the INDIA bloc on Monday at the Hotel Taj Palace in Chanakyapuri, as the opposition coalition intensifies its campaign against alleged electoral fraud and the special intensive revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Bihar. The gathering follows a protest march planned earlier the same day from Parliament to the Election Commission (EC) office, where opposition leaders will demand accountability over claims of “vote chori” (vote theft) orchestrated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the EC.

The dinner comes on the heels of a high-profile meeting at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s residence last week, where top INDIA bloc leaders vowed to combat what they call the “BJP-EC vote chori model.” That meeting, the first physical gathering of the bloc since June 2024, saw leaders from 25 parties, including Sonia Gandhi, Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP), Farooq Abdullah (National Conference), Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Abhishek Banerjee (TMC), Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT), and others like Kamal Haasan (MNM), unite against alleged electoral manipulations.

During the meeting, Rahul Gandhi presented evidence of what he described as a “huge criminal fraud” in the 2024 elections, alleging collusion between the BJP and EC. He highlighted irregularities in voter rolls, particularly in Karnataka’s Bangalore Central constituency, claiming over 1 lakh fake voters helped secure a BJP victory. The Congress has since launched a web portal for citizens to register against “vote chori” and demand digital voter rolls, amplifying the campaign on social media.

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The opposition’s protests target the SIR exercise in Bihar, which they argue risks disenfranchising voters, especially from marginalized communities. Congress deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi emphasized the bloc’s unity, stating, “The way opposition parties have cornered the government in Parliament, the same unity was visible in this meeting.” The Congress’s X post declared, “A united front against electoral manipulation! We are committed to protecting democracy.”

The EC has rejected Gandhi’s claims as “fake” and demanded a signed declaration or apology, escalating tensions. Monday’s dinner and march signal the INDIA bloc’s resolve to challenge the BJP’s alleged electoral tactics, with Kharge’s leadership aiming to solidify this coalition ahead of further confrontations.

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