New Delhi, October 2026 : Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday said President Droupadi Murmu had asked the INDIA bloc delegation to provide evidence supporting its allegations of “vote chori” or vote theft during a meeting at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The opposition delegation, which included Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and several senior INDIA bloc leaders, submitted a memorandum alleging electoral irregularities and warning that the functioning of the Election Commission was undermining Indian democracy. The meeting came amid continuing opposition protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and CEC Gyanesh Kumar were conspiring to undermine democratic institutions. He said the delegation had apprised the President of its concerns and sought her intervention.
“We submitted a memorandum to the President of India, informing her that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar are conspiring to destroy Indian democracy,” Gandhi said.
He added that President Murmu had asked the delegation to substantiate its claims with evidence. “She asked us to provide evidence to substantiate what we have said. We will submit the evidence to her whenever she is available,” he said.
Gandhi described the interaction as satisfactory, stating that the President had neither rejected the delegation’s memorandum nor questioned its submissions. He also announced that the opposition would approach the Supreme Court on Monday with a memorandum addressed to the Chief Justice of India.
The delegation comprised leaders from several INDIA bloc constituents, including Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah, NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule, CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby, RJD Rajya Sabha member Manoj Kumar Jha, CPI general secretary D. Raja, Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Rai and VCK president and MP Thirumaavalavan Tholkappiyan.
Kharge said the President had listened patiently to the delegation and was informed about the opposition’s agitation over alleged electoral irregularities.
“Leaders from our alliance met the President and submitted a memorandum. We apprised the President of the agitation we launched four days ago regarding the theft of votes,” he said.
Kharge said the delegation had raised serious concerns about the Election Commission’s functioning and what it described as errors committed by CEC Gyanesh Kumar. The opposition also demanded that electronic voting machines (EVMs) be set aside and elections be conducted using ballot papers.
Mamata Banerjee said the delegation viewed the President’s response positively, adding that she had indicated she would examine the memorandum and required supporting evidence.
“We have submitted a memorandum. We have seen from a positive outlook that she said she will investigate; she will go through the details, and she needs evidence,” Banerjee said.
She added that the delegation had agreed to submit the material requested by the President. Emphasising the importance of constitutional safeguards, Banerjee said the country was concerned about the issue and urged the President, as custodian of the Constitution, to take appropriate steps to protect democracy.
The meeting followed several days of opposition protests demanding accountability from the Election Commission, questioning the SIR exercise and calling for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. The INDIA bloc leaders said they would pursue the matter through constitutional and legal channels, with the proposed Supreme Court approach marking the next step in their campaign.
