New Delhi: Senior Congress leaders on Thursday alleged blatant bias by Returning Officers and the Election Commission in handling nominations in Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand, describing the incidents as “vote chori” turning into “seat chori” and a serious threat to democracy.
Addressing the media at the AICC headquarters, Indira Bhawan, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal and General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh briefed journalists after a nearly three-hour meeting of AICC General Secretaries, state in-charges and PCC presidents chaired by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Rahul Gandhi was also present.
Venugopal highlighted the rejection of senior Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination in Madhya Pradesh, stating there was no criminal case, FIR, or chargesheet against her. “The only reason cited was that she did not disclose a court notice. Yet her nomination was rejected,” he said. In sharp contrast, he pointed out that in Jharkhand, a BJP-backed candidate’s nomination — which had multiple discrepancies including unfilled columns and incorrect details — was accepted without issue.
“This type of democracy, how can we move? This is actually showing us the pathetic condition of Indian democracy,” Venugopal remarked. Congress leaders protested at the Election Commission the same night, staging a dharna before being allowed to submit a complaint. A delegation met the ECI again the next morning, but no decision has been taken. The matter is now before the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear it on Saturday. Similar concerns were raised regarding the Jharkhand case.
The Congress leaders accused the BJP of engineering majority through defections and now resorting to “seat theft” via biased electoral processes. “We will fight this issue politically and legally,” Venugopal declared, adding that today’s meeting resolved to take the battle forward on both fronts.
National Campaign on People’s Issues
Beyond electoral irregularities, the meeting focused on the deepening economic distress facing the country. Venugopal slammed the government over rising prices of petrol, diesel, and LPG, record unemployment, destruction of the MSME sector, and the recent NEET and CBSE exam leaks that have left students and families devastated.
“There is no moral responsibility from the government. For how many days are we asking for the resignation of the Education Minister? He is not coming into the picture at all,” he said. The party accused the media of not highlighting these issues adequately and announced a comprehensive national campaign over the next two to three months — spanning national, state, district, and block levels.
“This is not only traditional agitation. We will go to the people who are suffering, share their pain, and take their voice to the national capital,” Venugopal said. The campaign will focus on unemployment, price rise, exam scams, farmers’ issues, and demand accountability from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Detailed programmes are expected to be finalised within 4-5 days. Rahul Gandhi strongly backed the campaign plan.
TMC Merger Rumours Strongly Denied
On questions regarding meetings between TMC leaders Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, both Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh dismissed merger rumours as “baseless” and “rumours”. Ramesh said personal and alliance-related discussions took place to strengthen the INDIA bloc against the “anti-democratic government,” but there was no talk of merger or seat-sharing at this stage. “How can we answer for this rumour?” Venugopal asked.
Organisational and Electoral Preparedness
Venugopal clarified that today’s meeting was focused on organisational matters and not a CWC meeting. Discussions included the situation in various states, including West Bengal, though specifics were not shared with the media. He reiterated the party’s faith in the judicial system while preparing for a sustained political fight.
Congress leaders also expressed serious concern over the recurring examination irregularities and said they would combine agitation with awareness-building during the campaign. On participating in other opposition protests, Venugopal said the party is open to supporting any people-centric issues.
The press conference underscored Congress’s strategy of aggressive opposition on both institutional erosion and livelihood issues as it gears up for upcoming electoral battles.
