Election Commission Highlights: Congress stages nationwide protests for CEC resignation; AISA’s Neha among those detained during the Jantar Mantar agitation

Opp. must fight elections to protect democratic rights: O’Brien on Dipka’s boycott call

Trinamool Congress joint secretary Derek O’Brien said on Friday (September 25, 2026) that opposition parties must go ahead with elections to protect democratic rights while fighting for free and fair polls.

He was responding to Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke’s call to boycott the election, which he claimed was rigged.

“Opposition boycotting elections = BJP will win all the seats. Once that happens they will amend the constitution to legalize all their crimes,” O’Brien said on X.

He said staying away from the election would also mean betraying the party’s supporters working on the ground. “Not fighting the election also means betraying thousands of workers who are on the ground fighting for their lives,” he said.

“That is why it is important to fight elections to protect democratic rights and at the same time fight for free and fair elections,” he added.

PTI