Congress anti-vote chori campaign to help re-enroll voters whose names were deleted in SIR

Congress President and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge addressed the media at his residence in Kalaburagi on Saturday. | Photo credit: ARUN KULKARNI

The Congress on Monday (October 5, 2026) announced a series of nationwide campaigns against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and alleged vote theft using the slogan ‘Vote bachao, desh bachao (Save your vote, save the country’).

Congress workers will reach out to more than 13.3 million people whose names were struck off the voters’ list during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and try to re-enroll them with the help of “election rakshaks (guardians)” at each polling station.

The announcement was made after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge presided over a two-hour meeting of party general secretaries, state officers and Pradesh Congress Committee chiefs at Indira Bhawan here. Former Congress chief and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was also present at the meeting.

Opposition demonstration on November 1

“The Election Commission has become a fraud commission of India,” said Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal. “(Gyanesh Kumar) is not leaving even though the whole country wants him removed. We will not allow him to sit on a chair. We will ensure that he is removed,” he added.

The main opposition party will also reach out to other non-INDIA bloc parties, such as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Aam Aadmi Party, and invite them to join a planned protest march from Parliament to the Election Commission of India on Tuesday (October 6) and a large INDIA bloc rally in Delhi on the 1st.

“We invite all opposition parties to attend the rally on November 1 at Ramlila Maidan,” said General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh.

“Expect Distraction”

Sources told The Hindu that in a closed-door meeting, Mr Kharge said the opposition party should “remove the CEC now”, but also warned that the ruling party could use the distraction as “they (BJP) know they have been caught”.

Mr. Gandhi said the alleged “vote chori (theft)” was a people’s issue and the party’s campaign should be designed to get the common people to participate in programs to protect their voting rights.

The campaign will start at the grassroots level, Mr. Venugopal said. Block-level marches will be held from October 10 to 20, culminating in the offices of the Sub-Divisional Magistrates under the banner of ‘Vote bachao, Desh bachao’.

From the villages to the capital

“Village chaupals will be held in each village where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah will explain the modus operandi of chori voting by our workers and village leaders and heads will be invited. Booth Level Agents (BLAs), our election rakshaks, will be tasked with identifying every unfairly deleted voter and ensuring his re-enrolment,” Mr. Venugopal said.

The Congress will then hold six Delhi Chalo rallies from places in Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on November 25, culminating in a Constitution Day event in Delhi on November 26.

“Our fight is over. We will continue to fight on the streets until Gyanesh (Kumar) is removed, arrested and prosecuted,” Mr Venugopal said.

Published – 5 Oct 2026 23:24 IST