Over tea at Rahul Gandhi's home, opposition plots next move in ‘vote chori’ battle

New Delhi: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said he has invited the leaders of the INDIA bloc, opposition MPs, student organisations, and civil society "comrades" to his home for tea, and asserted that "we are all together" in this people's movement to protect democracy.

The former Congress chief said that following the tea, the leaders, MPs, members of student organisations and civil society will speak with the media.

Also Read: 'You cannot beat us, threaten us, frighten us': Rahul Gandhi after INDIA bloc's march to Supreme Court over poll 'irregularities'


"Today I have invited the leaders of the INDIA alliance, opposition MPs, student organisations, and civil society comrades to my home for tea. In this people's movement to protect democracy, we are all together - and this movement will continue relentlessly," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.

"After tea, we will all come together and present our case in front of the media. All protests are one," Gandhi said.

Sources said deliberations on the strategy for joint protests against 'vote chori' and to press for Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar's resignation are also expected to take place during the meeting at Gandhi's 5, Sunehri Bagh Road residence.

This comes a day after the raging protests over the vote theft charge reached the Supreme Court's doorstep. Opposition stalwarts, joined by activists and civil society members, undertook a "March for Democracy" on a heavily barricaded route and filed a joint petition against SIR and alleged poll irregularities in a major show of strength in the national capital. The opposition has been demanding the CEC's resignation over the alleged SIR irregularities.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi thanks INDIA bloc for protest, says Opposition will not back down; files plea against CEC

A mammoth crowd carrying flags and posters descended on central Delhi's Connaught Place, with Leaders of Opposition (LoPs) in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, CPI's D Raja, CPI-M leader M A Baby, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, besides NCP-SCP leader Supriya Sule, among those joining the march.

While the protesters breached one barricade at the Bhagwan Dass Road, they were finally halted at the second barricade on the road. Later, top leaders of the INDIA bloc went to the Supreme Court to file their petition.

The petition has made the Election Commission of India, the CEC and other Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi parties in the case.

The development came after the Chief Justice of India declined a request for a meeting with the LoPs on the issue, saying the matter is sub judice.