Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said President Droupadi Murmu asked Opposition leaders to provide evidence supporting their allegations of electoral irregularities during a meeting at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. The delegation, comprising leaders of the INDIA bloc, submitted a memorandum seeking action over the functioning of the Election Commission of India and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Gandhi said he was surprised that the President had asked for proof of the alleged vote theft rather than directly rejecting the Opposition's claims.

Following the meeting, Gandhi reiterated the Opposition's allegations of “vote chori,” a term used by its leaders to describe alleged manipulation of elections and electoral rolls. He claimed that the delegation had presented its concerns about the conduct of elections and the role of the Election Commission. Gandhi also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Gyanesh Kumar had undermined democratic institutions. These allegations remain claims made by the Opposition and have not been established as facts.

The INDIA bloc's memorandum called for Gyanesh Kumar's removal from the post of Chief Election Commissioner and sought an immediate halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition leaders also demanded the restoration of approximately 13.3 crore voters whom they allege were removed from electoral lists. In addition, the delegation sought changes to the legal framework governing the Election Commission, including the repeal of provisions granting legal protection to election commissioners.

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The meeting followed a series of Opposition demonstrations in Delhi against the Election Commission's handling of electoral rolls. Leaders from several parties have questioned the transparency of the revision process and raised concerns about its potential impact on voters. The delegation included Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, among other INDIA bloc representatives. The leaders said they had approached the President to seek intervention over what they described as serious concerns about the electoral process.

Gandhi also announced that Opposition leaders planned to approach the Supreme Court on Monday to present their concerns to the Chief Justice of India. The proposed move comes amid continued demands for greater accountability from the Election Commission and a review of the electoral roll revision process. The Election Commission and the BJP have rejected allegations of electoral manipulation in the ongoing dispute. The President's meeting with the Opposition delegation has added another development to the political debate, although the allegations and the demands for action remain unresolved.

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