The Election Commission denied a 250‑MP delegation, headed by Rahul Gandhi, the chance to meet at its premises on Tuesday, citing its 2025 protocol that mandates appointments through authorised representatives.
The commission said it had learned from media that the delegation attempted to meet at the commission headquarters, but no party had submitted an appointment request via its authorised representative before 4 pm. A late‑afternoon appeal from the Delhi Police’s DCP, proposing a meeting in the Parliament House Annexe, was deemed unusual and declined.
In its statement, the commission noted it had offered to send its senior‑most officer to the proposed venue to receive a memorandum, a move it described as unprecedented, but the offer was also rejected by the MPs.
Congress leaders P Chidambaram and Mahua Moitra publicly condemned the decision, accusing the commission of secrecy and arbitrary refusal. Chidambaram demanded a meeting with the Leader of the Opposition, while Moitra labelled the request for 250 MPs as "unusual" and criticised the commission’s stance.
Earlier that day, a protest march by the INDIA bloc ran from Parliament Street to the commission’s headquarters. Rahul Gandhi and other Congress MPs entered the Akashvani Bhawan, sparking a standoff with police. After over eight hours of sit‑in, Delhi Police detained Gandhi and several other leaders, who were later released.
The commission’s stance underscores its insistence that all political parties must adhere to its protocol, ensuring that any future requests for meetings must be formally scheduled through the parties’ designated representatives.
The next step will see the commission maintain its procedures, and opposition parties will need to re‑apply under the established guidelines if they wish to secure a meeting with the Election Commission.