IndiaPosted at: Oct 6 2026 10:12PM


ECI rejects Rahul Gandhi-led MPs’ meeting request, says 240-MP delegation proposal ‘unusual’

New Delhi, Oct 6 (UNI) The Election Commission of India today rejected a proposed meeting with a 240-member delegation of MPs led by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, saying the request had not been made through the procedure prescribed for meetings with political parties and that the proposed venue at Parliament House Annexe was contrary to its established protocol.
The clarification came amid a dramatic escalation of the confrontation between the Opposition and the poll panel, with Rahul Gandhi and several INDIA bloc MPs staging a prolonged protest after being stopped by Delhi Police during their march towards the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and other issues concerning the conduct of elections.
In a press note issued as the standoff intensified, the Election Commission said it learnt through the media that some Members of Parliament wanted to meet the poll panel and submit a memorandum during the Opposition's march towards Nirvachan Sadan. It said that around 4 pm, it received information from the Delhi Police that a delegation led by Rahul Gandhi wished to meet the Commission and submit a memorandum.
The ECI, however, said the request had not been made through the procedure followed for meetings with political parties. "Till 4.00 PM today, no political party, through its representatives, had sought an appointment for a meeting with the Election Commission," it said.
The Commission said that in 2025 it had laid down a procedure for meetings with political parties and that all parties had been informed about it. Under the procedure, a delegation of a political party, or a joint delegation of several parties, is required to seek an appointment through its duly authorised representative, after which the meeting is scheduled at a mutually agreed time.
According to the ECI, after receiving information about the Rahul Gandhi-led delegation, it was informed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Delhi Police, that the delegation would comprise 240 MPs and that the proposed venue was the Parliament House Annexe.
The Commission described the proposal as "unusual", saying it could not accept it because, under its protocol, meetings with political parties are held only on the premises of the Election Commission of India.
The poll panel nevertheless said it offered an alternative arrangement by proposing that its senior-most officer on duty be sent to the Parliament House Annexe to receive the memorandum from the MPs. The Commission described even this as an "unprecedented step", but said the offer was declined by the MPs.
The development came as Rahul Gandhi and INDIA bloc MPs intensified their campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission over the SIR exercise and other electoral issues. The Opposition has alleged that the revision process has resulted in large-scale deletions from electoral rolls and has demanded greater transparency, restoration of eligible voters' names and access to electoral data.
The dispute has increasingly expanded beyond the mechanics of electoral-roll revision into a wider political confrontation over the independence, accountability and functioning of the Election Commission. INDIA bloc parties have accused the poll panel of failing to adequately address their concerns and have demanded institutional safeguards to protect the integrity of the electoral process.
The Election Commission, for its part, has repeatedly maintained that the electoral-roll revision is being conducted within the constitutional and statutory framework and has defended the exercise as necessary to ensure accurate and updated electoral rolls.
In today's statement, the ECI stressed that it respected parliamentary and democratic processes as well as its established protocols and conventions. "Any political party may, at any time, request for a meeting with the Election Commission; and the Commission, keeping in view the suitability of time, schedules a date and time for the meeting," it said, describing this as "a regular practice."
The Commission's statement came after a day of high political drama in the national capital, with Opposition MPs marching towards Nirvachan Sadan before being stopped by Delhi Police and subsequently staging a prolonged sit-in. The protest later turned into a major confrontation, with Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders being detained as police moved to clear the protesting MPs.
The latest exchange has further sharpened the already bitter standoff between the Opposition and the Election Commission, with the INDIA bloc seeking to turn the SIR controversy into a broader political campaign over electoral transparency and democratic institutions, while the poll panel has sought to emphasise its constitutional mandate and established procedures. UNI SKA SS
Tags: #ECI rejects Rahul Gandhi-led MPs’ meeting request# says 240-MP delegation proposal ‘unusual’
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