Congress to launch rallies, demos, signature drive from Aug 14 against alleged vote theft
Rahul Gandhi, along with the INDIA alliance MPs, has protested against Special Intensive Revision outside Parliament.
By Kaniza Garari
File photo
Hyderabad: The All-India Congress Committee (AICC) announced a three-phase nationwide agitation against what it calls āvote theftā and the alleged collusion between the BJP and the Election Commission.
The protests, set to begin on August 14, will involve a series of demonstrations, rallies and a massive signature collection drive across the country.
Vote Adhikar Yatra against Bihar SIR
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, along with the INDIA alliance MPs, has protested against Special Intensive Revision (SIR) outside Parliament.
Congress MP and party general secretary KC Venugopal on Wednesday tweeted that from August 17, Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA partiesā leaders will embark on a massive āVote Adhikar Yatraā across Bihar.
Telangana Congress leaders from Nampally, led by Feroze Khan, addressed a press conference on Tuesday against bogus votes cast during the Parliamentary elections for the Hyderabad seat in 2023.
The agitation against the alleged bogus, duplicate and deleted votes by the Election Commission of India is being taken further with protests in three phases across all States.
In Telangana, the protests will include:
Phase 1: Candlelight Rallies
The first phase of the protest will kick off on August 14 at 8 pm candlelight rallies organised at district centres nationwide. The AICC has called for the widespread participation of MPs, MLAs, State and District Congress Committee (DCC) executives, MLCs and leaders from all affiliated organisations.
The rallies are intended to be a silent protest against the alleged electoral malpractices.
Phase 2: State-Level Demonstrations
From August 22 to September 7, the agitation will escalate to large-scale State-level demonstrations. These protests will be held in State capitals and major cities, with a focus on raising awareness about the alleged collusion between the ruling BJP and the ECI.
Congress leaders are expected to deliver speeches detailing the āvote theftā and mobilising public opinion. The party plans to organise foot marches and vehicle rallies, actively involving the public in the demonstrations.
Phase 3: National Signature Campaign
The final and most extensive phase of the protest will run from September 15 to October 15.
The AICC aims to launch a month-long, door-to-door signature collection campaign with the ambitious goal of gathering five crore signatures against āvoter theft.ā
The party has directed its leaders to travel across their respective States to ensure the widespread success of this campaign.
The Congress partyās call for a nationwide agitation comes amid ongoing allegations of electoral irregularities and a deepening political divide over the integrity of the voting process. The Congress party wants to use this protest to galvanise its supporters and bring the issue of āvote theftā to the forefront of national discourse.
