New Delhi: In a show of unity, top INDIA bloc leaders held a dinner meeting at the residence of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday and vowed to fight the electoral rolls’ revision in Bihar as well as what they described as the “vote chori model” of the BJP-Election Commission.
This was the first physical meeting of top leaders of the opposition bloc since they last met in June 2024, soon after the Lok Sabha elections at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence.
Several leaders from 25 parties were present at the meeting, which included Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference supremo Farooq Abdullah, PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti, SP’s Akhilesh Yadav, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee, Shiv Sena(UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, DMK’s Tiruchi Siva and T R Baalu, CPI(M)’s M A Baby, CPI’s D Raja, CPI(ML)’s Dipankar Bhattacharya, and MNM chief Kamal Haasan.
This comes after the NDA on Thursday authorized PM Modi and BJP president JP Nadda to select a candidate for the V-P election.
The leaders who attended the meeting on VP election include Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge from Congress, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Uddhav Thakarey, DMK’s Kanimozhi and CPM’s M A Baby.
The highlight of the dinner party was the detailed presentation by Rahul Gandhi titled ‘Democracy Destroyed,’ in which he briefed the leaders on large-scale electoral malpractices in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura constituency.
“A united front against electoral manipulation! We are committed to protecting democracy and will save it from being destroyed at all costs,” the Congress said in a post on X later.
In a post on Facebook, Gandhi said, “I laid out BJP-EC’s #VoteChori blueprint before INDIA alliance leaders tonight. INDIA is united, determined, and ready to defend democracy.”
“What I say to the people is my word. Take it as an oath,” he added.
Opposition leaders are set to take out a protest march from Parliament to the Election Commission headquarters in the national capital against the charges of “election rigging and fraud” as alleged by Gandhi.
Congress general secretary, organisation, KC Venugopal, termed the meeting as one of the “most successful.”
He said leaders of the INDIA bloc participate,d and Lok Sabha LoP Gandhi made the presentation that he showed at the press conference.
“Everyone was shocked after seeing the presentation. Everyone condemned the way democracy is being killed. Everyone was unanimous in acting against this. We need a clear voter list; a digital voter list is the immediate necessity of the nation,” he said.
Venugopal said RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav discussed the Bihar Yatra and invited all leaders of the alliance to participate in it during its conclusion on September 1.
“We discussed about the EC march,” he said, adding that several opposition leaders would be part of a protest march on Monday from Parliament to the Election Commission office, against the “poll fraud” charges.
Asked whether the vice presidential election was also discussed, he said, “There wasn’t much discussion on the vice presidential election…There are other occasions for it”.
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi called the meeting “positive”, and said the SIR and the revelations made by Gandhi remained the main issues.
He added that it was not a “formal” meeting, and other issues were also discussed among leaders.
“The way opposition parties have been united in Parliament in national interest and have cornered the government, the same unity was visible in the meeting as well,” Gogoi said.
He said the presentation made by Gandhi was discussed in the meeting, and some of the evidences presented by him were also presented to the opposition leaders.
Asked if the upcoming vice-presidential poll was also discussed, he said, “The main intention was that all leaders should come together… This is not a formal meeting, different issues are likely to be taken up.”
CPI general secretary D Raja said the meeting was “very meaningful.”
“Today’s meeting was very meaningful, the issue was ongoing controversy over SIR, and how EC has been functioning, how wrong things are being done as far as enrolment of voters are concerned, their identities are concerned,” Raja said.
“Rahul Gandhi made a power point presentation, he gave several examples. He also said what is happening in Bihar today can happen anywhere in the country,” he said.
National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah said they raised the issue of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, and also opposed a ban imposed on certain books in the state.
“I saw how votes are stolen….Our concern is statehood (for J&K), we raised that issue. The statehood that was promised has not been given,” he said.
“We also raised the ban on books in J&K. We regret that this is unconstitutional; it should not be done,” Abdullah added.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Telangana CM Revanth Reddy were also present at the dinner.
