New Delhi: The Election Commission of India said no political party had sought an appointment through its representatives by 4 pm on October 6, before it received a request concerning a delegation of MPs led by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
In a six-point press note issued that evening, the Commission said the proposed meeting subsequently involved 240 MPs at Parliament House Annexe. It said it could not accept that arrangement because its protocol requires such meetings to take place on ECI premises.
What the Commission says happened
The ECI said it initially learnt through media reports, during a march by certain political parties towards the Commission, that some MPs wished to meet it with their delegation. At around 4 pm, Delhi Police informed it that Gandhi-led MPs wanted a meeting to submit a memorandum, the note said.
While considering that proposal after 4 pm, the Commission said it was informed by a Delhi Police DCP that the group comprised 240 MPs and wanted the meeting at Parliament House Annexe. The ECI described the request as unusual and said it did not conform to its meeting protocol.
The Commission said it offered to send its senior-most officer on duty to the proposed venue to receive the MPs’ memorandum, an arrangement it described as unprecedented. According to the ECI, the MPs declined that offer as well.
Appointment procedure and the Congress account
The ECI said it had laid down a procedure in 2025 under which a political party, or a joint delegation of parties, seeks an appointment through its authorised representative. Meetings are then scheduled at a mutually agreed time. It said parties remained free to request meetings, with the Commission fixing a date and time according to availability.
Separately, Delhi Congress said Rahul Gandhi was detained at Kingsway Camp on October 6 and accused the government of trying to silence opposition leaders. The Commission’s note sets out its account of the meeting request; the Congress detention claim was made in a separate party statement.
