‘2024 polls illegal’

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Leader of the Opposition on Sunday declared the elections held for Lok Sabha in 2024 and other polls are illegal as per the data provided by none other than the Election Commission of India. Addressing a mammoth public meeting at Ramlila Grounds here, Rahul Gandhi delivered a lengthy, pointed speech. He alleged systematic “vote theft” over years in Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections through EVMs and by deleting or adding names on voter lists. “Fifteen per cent of India’s voters were removed from the voter list after the 2024 elections. This means the 2024 election was an illegal election. It was a stolen election,” he claimed, attributing the figures to the Election Commission itself and citing around 13.5 crore deletions.

He called the alleged deletions “anti-national,” “treason” and a “rarest of rare” case. “Without Gyanesh Kumar, neither Narendra Modi would have become Prime Minister nor Amit Shah would have become Home Minister,” Gandhi said, predicting that “Gyanesh Kumar will be removed from the post of Chief Election Commissioner. Gyanesh Kumar will go to jail.” He added a direct warning: “After Gyanesh Kumar, we’re coming for you.” Gandhi stressed non-violence and love, saying the opposition held no personal hatred but would not allow the Constitution to be destroyed. “The voice of every citizen of India is more important to me… That is my religion.” He envisioned an inclusive India where hardworking farmers and students receive their due, not one controlled by a few.⁠

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge set a combative tone. He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of attempting to snatch the votes of women, youth and Dalits through the Election Commission. “This is a historic meeting here. We have gathered here to protest against vote chori,” he said. Kharge declared that governments at the Centre and in states like Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were “chori governments” formed on stolen mandates. He called for Modi’s removal, chanting “Modi ko hatao, loktantra bachao” (Remove Modi to save democracy). On the CEC, he warned: “Till Gyanesh Kumar does not go, we will keep fighting. Even if he goes underground we will get him out… We will dig him out from the ground if needed.” He urged the crowd to fight strongly so that “PM Modi will go.

Mamata Banerjee struck an equally defiant note, declaring Bengal a victim of the SIR process. “Bengal is the victim of the circumstances of this SIR. We will not give up. We will give our lives, we will fight, but we will not surrender. They looted our Bengal. We will save democracy and bring it back… We will take revenge through politics. We will take revenge through democracy,” she said. She accused the BJP of looting properties, including Ram Janmabhoomi funds and Waqf assets, and of using police and agencies as extensions of the party because it lacked its own organisation. “The BJP will go,” she asserted, vowing continued resistance.⁠

Other leaders echoed the themes. Akhilesh Yadav targeted Uttar Pradesh politics and predicted the BJP’s defeat would begin there. Tejashwi Yadav described the gathering as a “Mahabharata” against vote thieves, likening the venue traditionally associated with Ramayana performances to a modern Kurukshetra and calling the CEC a “puppet of Modi.” Farooq Abdullah affirmed that Muslims had given their blood for the country and would continue to do so. Revanth Reddy, speaking earlier, compared Modi to Ravana and Telangana Congress workers to a “vanara sena.” Left leaders and others reinforced demands for the CEC’s resignation, restoration of deleted names and an end to the SIR exercise.

The rally marked a significant show of strength by the INDIA bloc, bringing together diverse non-BJP forces—Congress, SP, TMC, RJD, Left parties, regional outfits and civil society—under one platform. While the BJP organised a counter-protest elsewhere in Delhi commemorating the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and dismissed the opposition event as disruption, the Ramlila Maidan gathering underscored the alliance’s determination to keep the “vote chori” issue alive. As the speeches concluded amid sustained slogans, leaders left the stage projecting unity and resolve to continue the agitation until their demands were met.

Ramlila Maidan in the heart of the national capital transformed into a vibrant sea of tricolours, party flags, placards and slogans on Sunday as the INDIA bloc staged its much-anticipated ‘Chalo Dilli’ or ‘Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao’ mega rally and public meeting. Thousands of supporters from major non-BJP parties and organisations poured into the venue from early morning, creating a colourful spectacle of opposition unity against alleged electoral irregularities and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Supporters began arriving as early as 5:30 am. Delhi Police estimated attendance around 50,000, while organisers projected figures up to several lakhs; the ground and adjoining roads filled with contingents waving Congress hand flags, Samajwadi Party cycles, Trinamool Congress symbols, Left party banners, RJD and other alliance colours. People from Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and beyond arrived by trains, buses and special vehicles.

Student groups, trade unions, youth organisations, farmers’ and women’s groups marched with placards reading “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod,” “Save the Vote, Save the Nation” and demands to halt the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Regional cultural displays, including Himachali performances, added to the festive yet determined atmosphere. Nearly 4,000–10,000 police and paramilitary personnel, drones, hundreds of CCTV cameras and multi-layered barricades ensured tight security across central Delhi.⁠

Senior leaders first assembled at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence on Rajaji Marg. From there, they travelled in open-top buses and vehicles to the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction before leading a march of several kilometres to Ramlila Maidan. The cavalcade featured Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Sonia Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren,

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, CPI general secretary D. Raja, CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti and other alliance figures. Crowds lined the route, raising slogans and cheering as the leaders waved.⁠ At the maidan, speakers took turns addressing the gathering under the slogan of defending democracy and the Constitution.

Vanara Sena vs Ravana

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Telangana Bhavan in New Delhi, ahead of the INDIA bloc's 'Chalo Delhi' mega rally at Ramlila Maidan against alleged vote theft.Addressing Telangana Congress cadre, Revanth said, "Our Vanara Sena has come to defeat Ravana Modi. We will wage a war against vote chori at Ramlila Maidan."

Drawing from Ramayana, Revanth likened Congress and INDIA bloc workers to the army of monkeys that helped Lord Ram defeat Ravana.

The rally is part of the INDIA bloc's 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao' protest against alleged irregularities in electoral rolls during the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Leaders moved in a procession from Minto Road-Connaught Place junction to Ramlila Maidan, raising slogans of 'Vote chor, gaddi chhod'. Revanth alleged a massive conspiracy to delete voters of the poor, backward classes, Dalits and minorities to help BJP retain power.

"Already 13.5 crore votes have been deleted across the country. In coming days they will delete another 20 crore votes. The votes of poor are being removed. Conspiracies are being hatched to bring Modi back to power again," he alleged. Another report from The Hindu quoted him as saying 7 crore more could be removed.

Revanth said despite alleged stopping of trains, lakhs of people turned up in Delhi. The Ramlila Maidan, with capacity of 50,000-75,000, saw crowds spilling onto adjoining central Delhi roads.

He visited Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's residence before the rally. Top INDIA leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, Hemant Soren, Farooq Abdullah, Supriya Sule and Abhishek Banerjee attended.

The bloc demanded resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging the EC failed to protect electoral integrity. Congress alleged SIR was stripping poor of their constitutional right to vote and even linked ration cards.