LIVE: President asked us to submit 'vote chori' proof, says Rahul

Amid reports of people filing bulk deletion requests, EC puts limits

Amid reports of people filing forms in bulk seeking removal of electors from voters' lists, the Election Commission on Friday (October 9) placed a limit of 10 forms per person on submission of such objections.

The EC has prescribed limits on the number of Form 7 applications an individual elector can file to object to the inclusion of names or seek deletion of names from electoral rolls.

The move aims to discourage bulk filing of unsubstantiated objections, reduce inconvenience to voters and ease the workload of election officials.

There were reports of such bulk filing of objections from Karnataka and Odisha.

During the claims and objections period, an individual elector can file a maximum of 10 Form 7 applications throughout the entire period.

During continuous updating of electoral rolls, the limit is five applications per month.

The poll authority wrote to all state chief electoral officers to put in place the new system.

According to the reworked mechanism, the electoral registration officer will first issue notice to the objector, hear personally, record the statements separately for each Form 7 and satisfy himself or herself about the validity of objections.

When the ERO is satisfied, he or she will dispose of the application as per rule 19 and 20 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 giving an opportunity of hearing to the person objected to.

The directive seeks to curb excessive or potentially fabricated objections to electoral rolls while reinforcing verification and procedural safeguards before names are deleted.

The commission has directed chief electoral officers of all states and Union territories to circulate the instructions among EROs, assistant EROs and field-level officials and ensure adequate publicity. 

CJP to go ahead with protest, accuses govt of imposing Emergency

Claiming that the Centre was afraid of Gen Z and had imposed an "Emergency", leaders of the CJP on Friday (October 9) questioned the security curbs ahead of their party's planned demonstration in New Delhi and asked why the administration was "treating the youth like Pakistanis."

In a late-night video message on X, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leader Abhijeet Dipke said he will not be cowed down as the CJP wants to save democracy in the country.

"I am not scared (even) if I am detained. The government can slap NSA or UAPA against me. CJP wants free and fair polls and that cannot happen without (Chief Election Commissioner) Gyanesh Kumar's resignation or scrapping of SIR or neutral procedure to appoint election commissioner," he said, asking people to come to Jantar Mantar in large numbers.

The protest should be peaceful, but it must not stop till Kumar resigns, he said.

"Tomorrow, whatever happens, we will make history," said Ashutosh Ranka, another CJP leader.

Here's full memorandum submitted by INDIA bloc to President; demands CEC's resignation, suspension of SIR, return to ballot papers

"October 9, 2026

MEMORANDUM TO THE HON'BLE PRESIDENT OF INDIA

Hon'ble Madam President,

We, 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 democracy.

We 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 Hon’ble Supreme Court of India to cover up this crime.

Madam 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 conduct.

We urge you, as the constitutional Head of the Republic, to take cognisance of this grave situation and use your good offices to ensure that the following demands are addressed without delay:

1. Resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, the Chief Election Commissioner and the repeal of 2023 law that provides life-long immunity to the CEC and ECs.

2. Immediate suspension of the SIR and immediate restoration of all 13.30 crore voters illegally deleted from electoral rolls.

3. A return to paper ballots for all elections.

4. Repeal all Assembly elections over the last two years in which conclusive evidence of vote chori has been presented.

We 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 decisively.

With respectful regards."

Kharge: 'We have demanded that EVMs be removed'

After meeting President Droupadi Murmu, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Leaders of the INDIA alliance raised the issue of 'vote theft' before Her Excellency President Droupadi Murmu Ji and submitted a memorandum to her. We all informed the President Ji that CEC Gyanesh Kumar has made a very big mistake and the Election Commission is involved in 'vote theft'. We have demanded that EVMs be removed from the electoral process and elections be conducted in the country using ballot papers. President Ji has asked for evidence of 'vote theft'; we are collecting this evidence and will submit it to her."

"We also told President Ji that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are hell-bent on destroying democracy. President Ji listened to us and said that she will take note of our concerns and take the right steps. We are completely satisfied with this conversation with President Ji," Kharge added.

Mamata: 'President said she will investigate vote chori allegations'

After meeting President Droupadi Murmu, Former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said, "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 the democracy remains... She is very positive, and she responded that she will investigate ('vote chori' allegations)."

Rahul on 'vote chori': 'Shocked that President accepted what we said'

Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi said, "The main thing is that I expected the President of India to deny that 'vote chori' was taking place. I expected her to say that India has a free and fair electoral system. I was shocked and stunned that the President of India accepted what we said..."

Rahul: '2024 election was stolen; will submit vote chori proof to President'

"I sat in quite an unbelievable meeting. First, we took a memorandum to the President of India. In that memorandum, we clearly stated that the Prime Minister, Home Minister Amit Shah, and CEC Gyanesh Kumar had conspired to destroy Indian democracy. The President in no way denied what we said, questioned what we said, or argued what we said. She accepted our statement and then told us that we needed to provide her with proof of 'election chori'. I said that the evidence of 'election chori' is known to the entire country. State after state has been stolen. The 2024 election was stolen, and yet the President wants us to submit proof to her. This same group of people will be very happy to present the evidence of 'election chori' that we have collected to the President of India when she is ready to accept it," Rahul said.

Rahul: 'Modi is the architect of vote theft'

After meeting the President, Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi said, "The entire country knows that votes are being stolen. Narendra Modi is the architect of this; Amit Shah and Gyanesh Kumar are its implementers. The President of India did not deny this fact today."

INDIA bloc seeks appointment to meet CJI over 'vote chori'

INDIA bloc leaders to seek appointment with CJI Surya Kant on Monday (October 12) to hand over a memorandum alleging "vote chori" (vote theft).

Rahul: President asked us to bring 'vote chori' proof

"We handed our memorandum to the President listing our concerns about election chori and vote chori. The President did not deny vote chori but the President asked us to bring her proof of vote chori. We will bring the proof to her. I thank her from my heart," said Rahul Gandhi after INDIA bloc leaders, including him, met President Droupadi Murmu.