ECI Rejects Opposition MPs Meeting Demand

The Election Commission of India on Tuesday said it could not accept a request from a delegation of Opposition MPs to meet the full Commission at the Parliament House Annexe. The poll panel described the proposed venue as unusual and said its established protocol requires such meetings to be held at the Commission’s premises.

The Commission said that until 4 pm on Tuesday, no political party had formally sought an appointment through its authorised representative. It later received information from Delhi Police that a delegation of MPs led by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi wanted to meet the Commission and submit a memorandum.

According to the ECI, Delhi Police subsequently informed it that the proposed delegation would consist of around 240 MPs and that the meeting was to take place at the Parliament House Annexe. The Commission said such a request could not be accepted because its meeting protocol provides for political delegations to meet at the ECI’s premises.

The ECI said it had established a procedure for meetings with political parties in 2025. Under that procedure, a political party or a joint delegation of several parties is expected to seek an appointment through its duly authorised representative, after which a mutually convenient date and time are fixed.

The Commission said it nevertheless offered to send its senior-most officer on duty to the Parliament House Annexe to receive the memorandum. It described this as an unprecedented step, but said the offer was also declined by the MPs.

The development came amid an Opposition protest over the functioning of the Election Commission and issues surrounding electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision. Opposition leaders had marched towards the poll panel as part of their protest, with Rahul Gandhi and other leaders among those participating.

The ECI maintained that it respects parliamentary and democratic processes while also emphasising the importance of following its established procedures. It said political parties remain free to request meetings with the Commission and that appointments are scheduled according to the Commission’s availability.

The dispute highlights the continuing confrontation between the Opposition and the Election Commission over electoral-roll issues and the functioning of the poll body. The Commission's latest statement focuses specifically on the procedure and venue of the requested meeting rather than resolving the wider political disagreements behind the protest.