Bhatti Vikramarka Says Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Vote Chori’ Warning Proved True

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka on Monday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s warnings about “vote theft” had proved true, as the party intensified its opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Congress demanded clarity from the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the revision exercise and called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The protest was organised by the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) following a call from the All India Congress Committee. Congress leaders and workers marched from the Indira Gandhi statue to the Election Commission office in Hyderabad, raising concerns over the electoral roll revision process. TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud, ministers Duddilla Sridhar Babu, Ponnam Prabhakar and Mohammed Azharuddin, and MP Kiran Kumar Chamala were among those who participated.

Bhatti Vikramarka joined the demonstration carrying a copy of the Indian Constitution. After the rally, Congress leaders submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission, seeking greater transparency in the SIR process. Bhatti said the party was committed to protecting the Constitution and the right to vote, stressing that the Election Commission must ensure that people retain confidence in the electoral process.

He also appealed to political parties and civil society organisations that believe in democratic and constitutional values to support the Congress campaign. Bhatti said the party would continue its agitation until every eligible citizen’s voting rights were protected.

Mahesh Kumar Goud sought a detailed explanation from the Election Commission regarding the procedures being followed under SIR. He also referred to reports suggesting that election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had expressed reservations over certain aspects of the exercise and sought clarification on the reports.

Goud called for transparency in the modification of voter details and greater clarity over the responsibilities of officials involved in the electoral roll revision process. He said the Congress had been questioning SIR since its introduction and was conducting protests under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge.

Congress leaders also accused the Election Commission of taking steps that could affect the electoral process and alleged that its functioning was favourable to the BJP. These remain political allegations made by the Congress.

The Election Commission has maintained that decisions concerning SIR were taken unanimously. Against this backdrop, Congress leaders cited electoral developments in Bihar, West Bengal and other states while raising concerns over the revision exercise.

The Hyderabad protest comes amid an ongoing political debate over SIR and electoral roll revisions, with the Congress seeking greater transparency from the poll panel.