Rahul Gandhi calls 2024 LS polls ‘Illegitimate’, warns of a ‘dangerous political weapon’ against BJP & CEC

The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, 31 October, accused the Election Commission of India of undermining the democratic mandate of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and warned that a “new political weapon” could prove “very dangerous” for the BJP and those involved in vote theft, including Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

The Congress leader was speaking in favour of a resolution to remove the CEC at a symbolic “public impeachment”, held at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at 10, Rajaji Marg. This unprecedented public meeting was modelled on parliamentary impeachment proceedings.

The three-hour-long meeting was attended by opposition leaders from 21 political parties, MPs and members of civil society. The meeting came a day ahead of the proposed Congress-led rally at Ramlila Maidan, which is part of the INDIA bloc's campaign against electoral irregularities and ‘vote chori’.

Delivering the concluding address, Rahul Gandhi began by highlighting what he described as the "absurdity" of holding impeachment proceedings against the country's CEC in a garden rather than Parliament.

“Why are we holding this impeachment proceeding in a garden? Because we have no other option. Every single institution is closed to us. I don't think anything like this has ever happened in history: the entire Opposition sitting in a garden to discuss the impeachment of the Chief Election Commissioner of India,” he said.

Backing the resolution moved by Kharge at the start of the proceedings, Rahul Gandhi accused Gyanesh Kumar of attacking the soul of India and the very foundations of the republic. He asserted that the Opposition would not allow such an assault on democratic institutions and the Constitution.

“This political weapon is going to give justice to the people of India. This is our sacred duty to the Constitution and to the people of India. We are left with no choice but to do this,” Rahul said, warning that Gyanesh Kumar would not be able to escape accountability.

His reference to a new political weapon assumed significance in the run-up to the Ramlila Maidan rally, expected to be attended by thousands from across the country.

“If anybody thinks that immunity will save them or that Modi-Shah will save them, I would kindly suggest that they see what is going on in this country and understand the mood of the people outside. Tomorrow, you will see a political weapon on the streets of Delhi. A united Opposition will show you the mood of the people of this country,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi calls 2024 Lok Sabha election ‘illegitimate’

In a significant escalation of his allegations against the Election Commission, Rahul Gandhi described the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as illegitimate, claiming that the deletion of voters had undermined the mandate of the present government.

“13.3 crore voters were deleted. That is one in every seven Indian, 15 per cent of India's electorate. These voters participated in the last Lok Sabha election, where the victory margin was 3 per cent. Now, the Election Commission itself is saying that 15 per cent of the voters should never have voted. The Election Commission itself is saying that the 2024 election was illegitimate and that those elected to the Lok Sabha do not have a legitimate mandate,” he alleged.

“You cannot delete these voters and still claim that the 2024 election was legitimate,” he added.

This marked a significant departure from Rahul Gandhi’s earlier statements. While he had repeatedly alleged that elections in Bihar and other states were manipulated, this was the first time he had explicitly described the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as illegitimate, questioning the validity of the mandate on which the present government was formed.

Kharge lists six charges against CEC

At the start of the proceedings, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge moved a resolution seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of serious misconduct and alleging that he had compromised the independence of the Election Commission. Kharge listed six principal allegations against the CEC:

• Conspiring to manipulate election outcomes

• Deleting 13.2 crore voters from electoral rolls

• Altering Form 6

• Exercising control over electoral rolls through the ECINET platform

• Disregarding the concerns and dissenting views of the other two Election Commissioners

• Acting under the influence and direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah

The proceedings were modelled on a parliamentary session and chaired by former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar. The meeting began and concluded with the playing of the national anthem. The motion to remove Gyanesh Kumar was unanimously passed with the raising of hands.

Besides leaders and MPs from opposition parties, members of civil society and people claiming to have been affected by the SIR exercise also addressed the gathering. All India Students' Association (AISA) president Neha Bora was among those who spoke.