The All India Congress Committee (AICC), led by General Secretary G.A. Mir, launched a nationwide signature campaign today to collect 5 crore signatures appealing to the President of India regarding alleged “Vote Chori” and systemic electoral irregularities.
This campaign, which runs from September 15 to October 15, commenced with the inauguration event at Omoh, Verinag in South Kashmir’s Anantnag. Mir emphasized the urgency of curbing electoral malpractices, stating that this initiative raises public awareness about their rights as voters.
Mir expressed his conviction that the present electoral practices involve collusion between the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the ruling BJP, allowing significant manipulation of voter registrations. He estimated that under various arrangements, approximately 65 lakh votes have been deleted in Bihar, whom he referred to as victims of what he termed a “murder of democracy.”
“Our campaign aims for 5 crore signatures to present to the President. It has illuminated the critical importance of voting rights among citizens. This movement is unprecedented since Independence,” asserted Mir.
Moreover, he alleged that in various regions, efforts occur to delete legitimate votes while fake registrations proliferate. He stated that voters face obstacles in reaching polling booths due to this misconduct.
“Vote Chori is a crime, a stain on democracy, and it directly assaults the electoral rights of the populace,” Mir stated passionately.
In a show of solidarity, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has scrutinized these manipulative systems—highlighting instances of genuine voters’ registrations being removed and counterfeits being recorded in various states, including Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Bihar.
Mir confirmed that the Congress Party, under the leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, will relentlessly combat the alleged ‘ECI-BJP nexus’ in order to defend voter identity and uphold electoral rights.
“Today we made a powerful start to the Signature Campaign against ‘Vote Chori’ in Doru Constituency, Anantnag! Hundreds of dedicated workers from my own polling booth joined to stand for our democracy. Every signature is crucial! We will not allow our voices to be silenced,” Mir remarked on social media.
Additionally, MLA Nizam Ud Din Bhat addressed an enthusiastic crowd, characterizing this campaign as an “indigenous people’s movement” spearheaded by Rahul Gandhi to safeguard democracy and uphold voter rights.
