Election Commission row: From CEC’s removal to paper ballots, INDIA bloc submits 4-point memorandum to President

The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance INDIA bloc leaders on Friday submitted a fourpoint memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu during a meeting at Rashtrapati BhavanIn the memorandum the Opposition leaders alleged that the BJP had completely manipulated both EVMs and electoral rolls in several Assembly and Lok Sabha electionsWATCH Delhi After meeting President Droupadi Murmu Former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee says We have submitted a memorandum We have seen from a positive outlook that she said she will investigate she will go through the details and she needs evidence She has asked us to send which we said we will The country is very concerned and you as a custodian of the Constitution should take proper care so that democracy remains The INDIA alliance is together we are very strong and we represent more than 60 of people She is very positive and she responded that she will investigatemdash ANI ANI October 9 2026The memorandum stated ldquoWe the Members of Parliament of the INDIA group representing over 60 of the population of our country approach you with grave alarm over the manner in which the entire election system and the democratic framework of India has been subverted by Shri Narendra Modi the Prime Minister and Shri Amit Shah the Home Minister stealing from crores of Indians their constitutional Right to Vote This has destroyed the very foundation of our democracyldquoWe have incontrovertible proof that Vote Chori has taken place on a massive scale in election after election Assembly elections in Haryana Maharashtra MP Chhattisgarh Bihar Delhi and West Bengal have been stolen Both the EVMs and the electoral rolls have been completely manipulated by the BJP in several other Assembly and Lok Sabha elections Democracy is being murdered in broad daylight This is a crime against the nation and the Chief Election Commissioner has blatantly cheated and lied to the Honble Supreme Court of India to cover up this crimerdquo it statedThe Opposition leaders urged President Murmu to take cognisance of the matter and use her office to ensure that their demands were addressed without delayThe memorandum listed four demands ldquoResignation of Gyanesh Kumar the Chief Election Commissioner and the repeal of 2023 law that provides lifelong immunity to the CEC and ECs Immediate suspension of the SIR and immediate restoration of all 1330 crore voters illegally deleted from electoral rolls A return to paper ballots for all elections Repeal all Assembly elections over the last two years in which conclusive evidence of vote chori has been presentedrdquoThe INDIA bloc leaders also cited Article 326 of the Constitution which provides for elections based on adult suffrage and argued that the Election Commission must remain accountable to the ConstitutionINDIA bloc cites Article 326 urges President Murmu to protect right to voteldquoMadam President the Right to Vote is the foundation of representative democracy enshrined in Article 326 of the Indian Constitution The Election Commission is its constitutional custodian not its proprietor He is answerable to the Constitution of India and not to his political masters No institution can be permitted to alter the rules governing that right evade accountability for its decisions and silence those who demand answers through evasion repression and criminal conductrdquo the memorandum further statedConcluding the memorandum the INDIA bloc leaders appealed to the President to intervene at what they described as a critical moment for the countrys democratic frameworkldquoWe approach you because in moments when every other door has been closed the people of India look to the Office of the President as the final guardian of that covenant We appeal to your conscience to your sense of justice and to your abiding duty to the people of this Republic Do not let their voice be silenced We expect you as President of our Republic to discharge your duty to protect the Constitution of India decisivelyrdquo the memorandum statedWith ANI inputs