‘Vote chor, gaddi chhod’ roar at Ramlila rally: Congress challenges BJP’s mandate

The Congress on Sunday unleashed a sweeping political offensive against the Narendra Modi government through its “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod” mega rally at Ramlila Maidan, turning the venue into a vivid tableau of tricolours, placards and thunderous slogans as thousands converged to protest what the party alleges is a systematic assault on India’s electoral integrity.

Led by the party’s top brass — including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Sonia Gandhi, K.C. Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Sachin Pilot and other senior leaders — the rally echoed with fierce accusations of “vote theft” and urgent calls for accountability from constitutional authorities.

Speakers charged the ruling BJP with hollowing out democratic norms, alleging that power was being secured not through the people’s mandate but by sidestepping institutions and rules meant to safeguard free and fair elections.

From the dais, Congress leaders framed the mobilisation as far more than a routine political protest, describing it instead as a battle to defend democracy itself. They said repeated questions raised by the Opposition on electoral transparency had been stonewalled, fuelling public mistrust and casting a long shadow over the perceived impartiality of the Election Commission.

A day earlier, Kharge had sharpened the party’s attack, accusing the Modi government of dodging accountability in Parliament and placing “incorrect information” before the House even as concerns over electoral integrity went unanswered. He alleged that the government had chosen evasion over explanation, while Rahul Gandhi, he said, had backed claims of “vote theft” with documentary evidence pointing to the subversion of the popular will.

“The people of this country are not choosing the BJP,” Kharge asserted, alleging that governments were being stitched together by manipulating the electoral process rather than reflecting the verdict of voters. Such practices, he warned, strike at the heart of the Constitution and threaten to erode public faith in democracy.

Adding to the chorus, former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat expressed deep unease over the credibility of the electoral system, saying doubts about the Election Commission’s neutrality were growing among citizens who felt disenfranchised. He said Rahul Gandhi’s persistent questions had been met with silence from both the government and the poll body — a silence that, he warned, was deeply corrosive to democratic trust.

“This is not merely a political fight,” Rawat said, calling it a constitutional struggle to protect the Republic’s foundations. He cautioned that the reluctance of authorities to respond transparently was weakening the very bedrock of free and fair elections.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Raj Babbar mounted a sharp attack on the SIR process, alleging that it undermines rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Addressing party workers, he said democracy thrives on the freedom to question authority and warned that no system or government has the right to take that away. Babbar said Congress workers have come together in unity to defend these constitutional freedoms, framing the struggle as one to safeguard the very soul of democracy.

As chants of “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod” rolled through the rally, Congress leaders vowed to take the movement beyond Parliament and into the streets, announcing plans for similar mobilisations across the country. The party said the campaign would continue until transparency, accountability and constitutional propriety are restored.

The massive show of strength marked a decisive escalation in the Congress’ campaign on electoral issues, signalling that the question of democratic credibility is set to dominate India’s political discourse in the days ahead.