ECI Says No Formal Meeting Request Came Before Rahul Gandhi-Led MPs’ Protest

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday said no political party had formally sought an appointment with the poll panel until 4 pm, after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi led INDIA bloc MPs in a protest demanding a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and other Election Commissioners. In a press note, the ECI said it learnt through the Delhi Police that Gandhi and a delegation of MPs wanted to meet the Commission and submit a memorandum. The panel said its established procedure requires political parties to seek meetings through authorised representatives and that such meetings are held at the ECI's premises.

The Commission said it was considering the request when Delhi Police informed it that the proposed meeting was to involve around 240 MPs at Parliament House Annexe. The ECI described such an arrangement as “unusual and unacceptable” under its protocol and said it offered to send its most senior executive officer to receive the memorandum instead. The proposal was rejected, according to the poll panel.

ECI Says No Formal Meeting Request Came Before 4 PM

The ECI said the procedure for political delegations had been in place since 2025 and had been communicated to all political parties. Under it, a party or group seeking a meeting with the Commission is expected to approach it through an authorised representative and seek a mutually agreed time.

The clarification came after Gandhi said around 300 MPs from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha had gone to meet the Election Commissioners but were stopped by police. Gandhi accused the poll panel of refusing to meet elected representatives and said the Opposition was protesting to “save democracy”.

The confrontation unfolded as INDIA bloc parties intensified their campaign against the ECI and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Gandhi and several opposition leaders were later detained by Delhi Police after staging a sit-in when they were prevented from marching towards the Election Commission's office.

Sudhanshu Trivedi Questions ‘300 MPs’ Claim

Reacting to the ECI's statement, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi accused Gandhi and the Congress of creating a political spectacle and questioned the claim that 300 MPs had participated in the attempt to meet the poll panel. Trivedi said the Congress had 99 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 30 in the Rajya Sabha and asked where the figure of 300 came from. His remarks were in response to Gandhi's assertion that nearly 300 MPs had marched to meet the Election Commissioners.

Trivedi also defended the constitutional position of the Election Commission, arguing that even Parliament could not simply summon an Election Commissioner for a hearing. He accused the Congress of trying to create a confrontation with a constitutional institution and alleged that the protest was aimed at creating the impression of a breakdown in the electoral system.

He further accused Gandhi of trying to replace democracy with a “monarchy” and described the Congress's claims as “blatant lies”. These were Trivedi's political allegations and were not independently established by the ECI statement. The BJP's response came as the Opposition continued to demand action against the Chief Election Commissioner and challenge the SIR exercise.