CHANDIGARH: The Haryana Congress has said that lakhs of people from the state will attend the ‘Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao’ rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on November 1, organised as part of the party’s campaign against alleged electoral irregularities.
The party has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of stealing the people’s mandate in Haryana and alleged that the Election Commission was used to help it secure power. The BJP has denied allegations of electoral manipulation.
At a meeting of Haryana Congress leaders held at the official residence of Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda in Delhi on Wednesday, the party reviewed preparations for the rally and assigned responsibilities to MPs, MLAs and senior leaders to mobilise workers and supporters.
Most Congress MPs and MLAs from Haryana attended the meeting, along with former legislators, former parliamentarians, former state Congress presidents and district Congress committee chiefs. Leader of the Opposition in Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda, AICC in-charge Sanjay Dutt, state Congress president Rao Narendra Singh and Deepender Hooda held discussions with party leaders.
Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said lakhs of people from Haryana would travel to Ramlila Maidan to raise their voices against alleged electoral irregularities and the BJP government. He described the state government as corrupt and alleged that it had come to power through dishonest means.
Hooda questioned discrepancies in Haryana’s voting percentages after the Election Commission had announced the figures, asking why the changes had not been explained. He also said the demand for a return to ballot-paper voting was growing and accused the BJP of undermining democratic institutions.
Congress leaders alleged that the BJP had secured power in Haryana through ‘vote theft’ and reiterated their demand for ballot-paper voting, citing what they described as unexplained changes in voting percentages after the official figures were announced.
Sanjay Dutt said Haryana had been the primary victim of alleged ‘vote theft’ and accused the BJP of colluding with the Election Commission to undermine the people’s mandate. He questioned the BJP’s claims of defending democracy while opposing a return to ballot-paper voting.
Dutt also alleged that electronic voting machines (EVMs) had helped the BJP manipulate elections, a charge the party has repeatedly denied. He said Haryana was expected to lead in turnout at the November 1 rally.
Rao Narendra Singh said the state would once again send a large contingent to Delhi. He alleged that lakhs of voters had been arbitrarily removed from electoral rolls and said the rally would highlight the potential impact of such deletions on farmers, the poor, students and other sections of society.
Deepender Hooda alleged that the BJP was attempting to obstruct the rally but said the Congress’s mobilisation efforts in Haryana would overcome any such challenges. He accused the BJP of securing power in the state through electoral manipulation, misuse of the Election Commission and black money, claiming that its victory margin was only half a percentage point of the total votes.
Hooda also referred to reported dissent by two Election Commissioners over decisions taken by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that unilateral decision-making had raised concerns about the fairness and transparency of the electoral process. He linked the issue to Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of irregularities in Haryana’s elections.
He described the rally as a significant milestone in Rahul Gandhi’s campaign to safeguard democracy and the Constitution, adding that Haryana’s contingent should be the largest at Ramlila Maidan.
The Congress has made allegations of electoral malpractice and concerns over voter-list revisions central to its campaign ahead of the November 1 rally. The party says the gathering will form part of its wider effort to defend democratic rights and the Constitution.