Congress to hold ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod’ rally at Ramlila Maidan today

Congress units across several states have begun mobilising supporters for the rally. (File photo)

The Congress is set to stage a major demonstration at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on December 14, escalating its nationwide campaign against what it alleges are serious irregularities in the electoral process, including concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls.

Branded the ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod’ rally, the event has been convened at the call of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. Party leaders have described it as a critical political intervention aimed at challenging the BJP-led government and bringing alleged electoral lapses into the public domain.

Former Chhattisgarh chief minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel said the rally was intended to consolidate public opinion and signal the party’s readiness for a sustained political fight.

“This is a step towards a decisive struggle. We expect a massive participation from across the country,” Baghel said.

Congress units across several states have begun mobilising supporters for the rally.

Jharkhand Congress president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh said large contingents of party workers and leaders had already reached the national capital following the call from the central leadership.

Calling the programme a landmark event, Kamlesh said representatives from all districts of Jharkhand and members of allied organisations were participating, with more expected to arrive ahead of the rally.

From Jammu and Kashmir, more than 1,000 Congress leaders and workers departed for Delhi on Saturday. The convoy was flagged off by Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra, as party activists raised slogans urging the government to step down and alleging electoral manipulation.

Karra said the Congress’s campaign was driven by what it claimed were widespread irregularities in voter lists and election conduct, which he argued had weakened public trust in democratic institutions.

Congress MP KC Venugopal said the rally was part of a broader movement questioning the functioning of the Election Commission, claiming that electoral processes were being compromised.

He said the party had gathered more than five crore signatures from across the country on the issue and planned to submit them to the President. According to Venugopal, the matter had also been raised repeatedly by the opposition during the ongoing winter session of Parliament.

The Congress’ agitation has included street protests in several states.

On November 27, Youth Congress workers were detained in Lucknow after a protest over the SIR issue escalated when demonstrators attempted to breach police barricades and block arterial roads.

The party has stepped up its criticism of the Election Commission following the Supreme Court’s decision permitting the continuation of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, even as the court advised the poll panel to consider additional documents such as Aadhaar and ration cards for voter identification.

The rally comes amid a sharp escalation in political rhetoric over alleged “vote chori”. Earlier this week, the issue triggered a heated exchange in the Lok Sabha between Home Minister Amit Shah and Rahul Gandhi, ending in a walkout by opposition members.

While the BJP has rejected the Congress’s allegations and defended the voter roll revision exercise as essential to cleaning up electoral lists, the Congress has said it will intensify its campaign, projecting the Ramlila Maidan rally as a pivotal moment in its effort to safeguard democratic processes.