The Congress leadership stepped in late on Tuesday to bring INDIA bloc partners to the protest at All India Radio premises after learning of unease among allies over the decision to seek a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, said sources aware of the matter.
The outreach came after Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other Congress leaders continued their sit-in at Akashvani Bhavan for over seven hours while leaders of other parties were detained and taken to police stations, Opposition sources said.
The leadership called alliance leaders around 7 pm, asking them to join the protest at Akashvani Bhavan. Most reached the premises by about 7.40 pm, the sources said. At 7 pm, TMC sources said that their MPs Derek O'brien and Mahua Moitra are currently at Akashvani Bhavan. Later in a post on X , Moitra said, “Inside Akashwani Bhavan. We will leave after we meet Gyanesh and tell him to resign.
The outreach came after allies conveyed their disquiet over being left out of discussions on the Congress’s protest strategy, including the insistence on meeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Opposition’s joint march to the Election Commission headquarters had been organised to demand his removal over allegations of “vote theft”.
Several opposition MPs were detained by Delhi police and taken away in buses to different police stations. The leaders included SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Abhishek Banerjee, Kalyan Banerjee, Derek O’Brien, Left MPs John Brittas, P Sandosh Kumar and A Rahim. However, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K C Venugopal along with some other leaders, entered the Akashvani Bhawan premises while attempting to reach the Election Commission headquarters. Congress leaders Pawan Khera and other party workers also stayed put at the premises. Gandhi told the media that he will stay put until CEC Gyanesh Kumar meets them. However, EC sources said that the opposition did not seek any prior appointment to meet them.
Another alliance leader attributed the unease to a lack of consultation. “There was a communication gap, and it wasn’t discussed that they would meet the CEC,” the leader said.
An alliance leader told this paper that leaders of other parties were clueless about the Congress’s next move and had not been kept in the loop. Their unease grew as Gandhi, Priyanka and other Congress leaders stayed put inside Akashvani Bhavan while several allies were taken to police stations.
“Word had reached the Congress leadership that the other parties were not on the same page with Rahul Gandhi on meeting the CEC,” an Opposition MP said.
Following the calls, Trinamool Congress, Left party leaders, Samajwadi Party MPs and others reached Akashvani Bhavan to join the sit-in.
The Opposition leaders were later removed from the spot.
Allies had agreed on demanding the CEC’s removal, but sources said they had not been consulted on the decision to continue the sit-in until he met them.