"No party sought appointment till 4 pm": ECI replies after INDIA bloc protest, says proposed meeting at Parliament House Annexe "unusual"
The Election Commission clarifies why it rejected the INDIA bloc's request to meet at Parliament House Annexe following Rahul Gandhi's protest.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a sharp clarification following a high-decibel protest by the INDIA bloc, stating that no political party had requested an official appointment until late in the afternoon on Tuesday.
The controversy erupted after leaders of the opposition alliance marched towards Nirvachan Sadan to protest against the poll panel and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The ECI's statement comes in the wake of the massive demonstration led by the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.
The 4 PM Turning Point
According to the official statement released by the poll panel, the timeline of events is crucial to understanding the standoff. The Commission noted that it only received formal information regarding the meeting request via the Delhi Police at approximately 4:00 PM.
The ECI detailed that:
- Until 4:00 PM, no representatives from any political party had sought an appointment.
- At 4:00 PM, the Delhi Police informed the Commission that a massive delegation of approximately 240 MPs, led by Rahul Gandhi, intended to meet the Election Commissioners.
- The opposition requested that the meeting take place at the Parliament House Annexe rather than the Commission's headquarters.
"Unusual" Venue and Protocol Clash
The Election Commission described the proposed meeting at the Parliament House Annexe as "unusual". The poll body maintained that according to the established protocols set in 2025, all meetings with political parties must be held on the premises of the Election Commission of India.
The Commission emphasized that the standard procedure requires parties to seek appointments through their duly authorized representatives to ensure meetings are held at mutually agreed-upon times and locations. By requesting a meeting at a different venue with a massive group of 240 MPs, the ECI argued the request deviated from these long-standing conventions.
An Unprecedented Offer Rejected
In an attempt to bridge the gap, the ECI claimed it made an "unprecedented step" to accommodate the opposition. The Commission stated it offered to send its most senior executive officer on duty to the Parliament House Annexe to receive the memorandum from the MPs.
"ECI proposed that its senior-most officer on duty could be sent to the meeting venue to receive the memorandum of the Hon'ble MPs, which in itself would have been an unprecedented step. However, this offer was also declined by the Hon'ble MPs,"the Commission stated.
Despite the friction, the ECI maintained that it respects the democratic and parliamentary processes of the country. The Commission concluded by reiterating that any political party is free to request a meeting at any time, and the Commission will schedule it based on suitability of time and existing schedules, as per regular practice.
The day's tension began earlier when INDIA bloc leaders staged a sit-in protest at Akashvani Bhawan after several opposition members were prevented from proceeding during their march to the Nirvachan Sadan.