Chandigarh, Nov 12 (UNI) The Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) is set to launch a major state-wide agitation titled “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod” (Thieves of Votes, Vacate Power) to protest against alleged irregularities in the 2024 Assembly elections.
The campaign will kick off on Wednesday from Karnal district, where a large public gathering and protest march have been planned.
According to the HPCC, the movement aims to “defend democracy and expose the alleged theft of public mandate.”
The day’s events will begin with a public rally near Pathak Hospital at 11 a.m., followed by a march to the district secretariat, where party representatives will submit a memorandum addressed to the President of India to the Deputy Commissioner.
State Congress chief Rao Narendra Singh will lead the campaign, accompanied by senior party figures including Member of Parliament Deepender Singh Hooda, AICC national secretary and co-incharge Prafulla Ghurte, and other prominent leaders. Thousands of party workers from across Haryana are expected to participate.
The campaign traces its roots to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegation during an October 2024 press conference, where he claimed that 25 lakh votes were fraudulently cast during the Haryana Assembly elections.
Gandhi had even questioned the inclusion of a Brazilian model’s photo in the state’s voter list, pointing out that the same image appeared multiple times under different Indian names.
Following his remarks, a strategy meeting was chaired by the state in charge, B.K. Hariprasad in Delhi finalized plans for a series of public demonstrations. Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Kumari Selja, Deepender Hooda, and several other senior Congress figures were part of the deliberations.
As per the schedule, the movement will cover all 22 districts of Haryana over the next 27 days. After the inaugural event in Karnal on November 12, similar programs will be held in Ambala on November 13, Faridabad on November 15, Charkhi Dadri on November 17, Hisar on November 18, and several other districts, concluding in Panipat on December 8.
Party officials stated that all MPs, MLAs, former legislators, and candidates from the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls will participate in the campaign. The Congress leadership emphasised that the movement is not merely political but a people’s struggle to safeguard democracy.
