New Delhi: The Congress will launch programmes, including a grassroots-level ‘Booth Chalo’ campaign, to identify the 13 crore voters it alleges have lost their right to vote following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and raise its voice on their behalf. The final announcement is expected after the INDIA bloc meeting scheduled for 11.30 am on Wednesday.
The Congress reiterated its demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. A resolution adopted by the party’s Working Committee also sought the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging that the “brazen vote theft” carried out by the CEC was intended to benefit them.
The CWC also called for the suspension of the SIR process and restoration of the names it says were deleted from the electoral rolls.
Rahul Gandhi reminded his colleagues that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had said the political contest was between the BJP and the Congress and urged them to move forward with confidence.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the alleged irregularities in the electoral process were not the work of Gyanesh Kumar alone and described him as “only an instrument”.
Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala recalled revelations made by former Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson. An exclusive Onmanorama report had revealed Thomson’s account that Kumar, then an IAS officer, had personally persuaded him to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha election on a BJP ticket from Pathanamthitta.
Shashi Tharoor said the BJP was likely to organise a programme on Gandhi Jayanti and that the Congress should hold a major event of its own.
Kharge’s response to Tharoor triggered laughter at the CWC meeting.
“We will organise a major programme, but will you come for it or will it only be article-writing and social media posts?” Kharge asked.
Venugopal said all political parties and organisations were being invited to join the protest programmes planned by the Congress.
The meeting was chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, leaders Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal and Priyanka Gandhi, Chief Ministers VD Satheesan, DK Shivakumar, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Revanth Reddy, Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, former KPCC president K Sudhakaran and Shashi Tharoor attended the meeting.
