Election Commission of India rejects Opposition MPs meeting

The Election Commission of India rejected a meeting proposal with Opposition MPs on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. The Commission cited the proposed venue and the scale of the delegation as 'unusual and unacceptable' under its protocol.

At around 4 pm, Delhi Police informed the ECI that a delegation of about 240 MPs, led by Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi, wished to meet Election Commissioners and submit a memorandum at the Parliament House Annexe. The Commission stated that till that time, no political party had formally sought an appointment through its established procedure. The ECI deemed the demand to meet at Parliament Annexe with 240 MPs as a violation of its 2015 protocol, which dictates such meetings must take place inside Election Commission premises.

ECI offers unprecedented gesture to receive memorandum

Despite rejecting the venue, the ECI offered to send its most senior executive officer to the Annexe to receive the memorandum. The Commission described this as an 'unprecedented step'. It stated that any political party can request a meeting through the established procedure at any time. Meetings under this protocol take place at a time mutually agreed upon by both parties. "The Commission may schedule the date and time for such a meeting based on convenience," the Election Commission of India said.

The dispute unfolded against the backdrop of a wider confrontation over electoral-roll revisions, including the Special Intensive Revision exercise. Opposition parties have raised questions about the process and demanded greater transparency. The Commission has defended the revision as part of its constitutional responsibility. The disagreement now extends to the procedure and venue for engagement between lawmakers and the Election Commission.

Opposition mobilises hundreds of MPs in protest march

Over 300 Opposition MPs of the INDIA bloc began a march from Parliament Complex to the Election Commission office. The march was intended to meet Election Commissioners and hand over a formal memorandum. This protest is part of a broader 'Save Democracy' campaign announced by the Opposition. Rahul Gandhi claimed that about 300 opposition MPs wanted to meet the Election Commissioners to put forth their questions.

Earlier on October 6, INDIA bloc leaders staged a sit-in protest at Akashvani Bhawan after being stopped during a march to Nirvachan Sadan, the ECI headquarters. Later, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and several other Congress leaders were detained by Delhi Police. The proposed gathering of around 240 MPs underlines the scale of political pressure on the Commission.

The immediate question is whether MPs will submit their memorandum through another channel or seek a fresh meeting at the Commission's premises.