The Congress on Sunday launched a sharp political offensive over alleged electoral malpractice, with its top leadership gathering at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan for the ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod’ rally, positioning the issue as a fight to protect the sanctity of democracy.
The rally, projected as a mass protest against what the party calls ‘vote chori’ (vote theft), drew thousands of supporters and featured addresses by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, KC Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Sachin Pilot and other senior leaders. Former party chief Sonia Gandhi was also present.
Leading the charge, Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of colluding with the BJP to manipulate electoral rolls and overlook irregularities. Naming Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, the LoP alleged they were ‘working for the BJP.’
“We will stand with satya (truth) and will remove the Narendra Modi-RSS government from power. They have satta (power), and they indulge in vote chori,” Rahul Gandhi said, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.
He further alleged that the BJP distributed Rs 10,000 during elections without any action from the poll panel. “In this fight between truth and untruth, the Election Commission is working with the BJP government,” he said.
Ideological Attack On RSS
In a broader ideological attack, Rai Bareli MP referred to a statement attributed to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, contrasting what he described as the BJP-RSS worldview with that of the Congress.
“…Listen to RSS Chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat’s statement, the world doesn’t look at truth, it looks at power. Whoever has power is respected. This is Mohan Bhagwat’s thinking. This ideology belongs to the RSS. Our ideology, the ideology of India, the ideology of Hinduism, the ideology of every religion in the world, says that truth is the most important thing. Mohan Bhagwat says truth is meaningless, power is important…I guarantee you from this stage, you will see, by upholding the truth, by standing behind the truth, we will remove Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, the RSS government from India.”
Part Of Wider ‘Vote Chori’ Campaign
Sunday’s rally marked the Congress’s most significant mobilisation in the national capital as part of its “vote chori” campaign, which gained momentum during Gandhi’s “Voter Adhikar Yatra” in Bihar earlier this year.
Despite a disappointing performance in the Bihar Assembly elections, where the party won only six of the 61 seats it contested, the Congress has continued to push the slogan “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod” in an attempt to turn it into a broader public movement.
Nationwide Mobilisation And Solo Push
Since announcing the rally on November 18, the party mobilised its state units, set up a control room at its Akbar Road headquarters and coordinated participation from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Punjab and other states.
Party leaders said Gandhi views the issue as fundamental to democracy and is determined to keep alleged electoral irregularities in focus. He has earlier held three press conferences, presenting what he described as “evidence of vote chori” in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Haryana — allegations the Election Commission has dismissed as “incorrect and baseless.”
This time, the Congress chose to go it alone without its INDIA bloc allies, citing uncertainty following the Bihar setback.
Looking Ahead To 2026 Polls
Senior leaders insist the campaign is far from over, with forthcoming Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu seen as key tests of whether the issue resonates beyond the party’s core supporters.
“Rahul Gandhi believes this fight is about the most basic element of democracy — voting. He will continue his offensive against the EC and the BJP. We hope for an awakening of the masses on this issue,” a senior Congress leader said.
Whether the “vote chori” campaign can galvanise wider public opinion remains uncertain, but the Ramlila Maidan rally underlined the Congress leadership’s resolve to keep the issue at the centre of national political discourse.
Also Read: Pankaj Chaudhary Elected Unopposed As BJP UP President; Says ‘Will Play A Role, Not Rule’
To read more such news, download Bharat Express news apps
