Congress stages a protest at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan alleging electoral irregularities in recent state polls, challenges the Election Commission, and flags concerns over voter lists and transparency.

Congress Raises Poll Integrity Concerns at Ramlila Maidan Protest

New Delhi witnessed a charged political atmosphere on December 14 as the Indian National Congress convened a large public meeting at Ramlila Maidan, sharpening its attack on the electoral process. The demonstration, titled ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod,’ was positioned as a response to what party leaders describe as serious irregularities in recent Assembly elections, including those in Haryana and Maharashtra.

At the rally, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi cited figures pointing to duplicate voter entries and unexplained deletions from electoral rolls. He pressed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to place digitised voter lists and polling-day CCTV footage in the public domain. The party also announced the collection of 5.5 crore signatures, which it said would be submitted to the President as part of a formal memorandum.

The Election Commission has firmly pushed back, dismissing the accusations as unfounded. Officials reiterated that electoral rolls are accessible to political parties and the public, and maintained that there is no evidence of systematic or large-scale manipulation. The exchange adds to the long-running friction between the opposition and the poll body, particularly around electronic voting machines and broader electoral reforms.

The protest underscores how election credibility is fast becoming a central political battleground ahead of future polls, with street mobilisations complementing legal and institutional challenges. For voters, the debate highlights the importance of checking their names on electoral rolls well before elections—a routine step that can prevent last-minute surprises. Locally, such rallies also signal that election administration, once a procedural issue, is now firmly part of public political discourse.