Congress holds protest against CEC in Vijayapur and Belagavi

Congress workers burnt the effigy of Chief Election Commissioner Gjanesh Kumar in Vijayapur on Monday. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Congress members held rallies in Vijayapur and Belagavi on Monday to protest the alleged autocratic behavior of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and unilateral decisions taken in the Election Commission of India (ECI).

In Vijayapur, Congress members burnt an effigy of Mr. Kumar and sought his arrest. They went to the Deputy Commissioner’s office and submitted a memorandum demanding that the Supreme Court monitor the investigation of all decisions taken by the CEC. The memorandum also demanded the immediate release and arrest of Mr. Kumar.

Minister MB Patil, who led the protest, said the ECI has become a puppet in the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. “On several occasions, our leader Rahul Gandhi has raised questions and campaigned against ‘vote theft’. In our state too, protests were held under the leadership of Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, KPCC President BK Hariprasad and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The Congress party is protesting across the country and drawing attention to this issue,” he said.

Mr. Patil had a serious objection to some BJP workers filing third party mass objections against the inclusion of names of eligible voters in Vijayapura district. “Several thousand of such collective objections were filed here. However, through the transparent and impartial procedure of the district administration, the attempts to steal votes were thwarted. Even if the applicants have now withdrawn, it is a serious offense. Further measures must be taken after seeking legal advice in this matter,” he said.

DCC president Mallikarjun Loni, former MLA Raju Alagur, leader Abdul Hamid Mushrif and City Corporation members were present among others.

In Belagavi, Congress members sought the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The protesters walked from Sangolli Rayanna Circle to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. They carried party flags and banners with various demands and raised slogans against the Election Commission. They visited the DC office to submit a memorandum demanding a proper investigation and appropriate action on the alleged irregularities in the electoral roll revision process.

“The Congress has consistently raised objections to the SIR process in the state and has raised concerns that names of eligible voters may be omitted from electoral rolls. There have been reports of irregularities in the number of SIR-related Form 7 applications in Karnataka,” said Channaraj Hattiholi, MLC. He said that the Congress will continue its struggle to ensure the autonomy of the electoral body and the protection of the right to vote.

He demanded a comprehensive review of the alleged irregularities in the SIR process and insisted that legal action be taken against those found guilty. Belagavi Rural Congress President Basavaraj Shiggaavi, Belagavi Urban Congress President Raja Salim, District General Secretary Pradeep MJ, leaders like MT Rathod and Pandu Nayak were present among others.

Published – 28 Sep 2026 23:41 IST