The Navi Mumbai District Congress Committee staged a “Candle and Torch March” in Koparkhairne, protesting alleged large-scale irregularities in the voter list and accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of exerting undue pressure on the Election Commission.
Rahul Gandhi’s Allegations Spur Nationwide Action
The demonstration came days after Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged major voter list manipulation at a press conference. The Congress has maintained that the BJP is attempting “vote theft” to gain power illegitimately and has launched nationwide protests demanding transparency.
Local Leadership Takes the Lead
Following directives from the All India Congress Committee and the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, District President Poonam Patil led the procession from the Congress Public Relations Office.
Senior leaders Santosh Shetty, Shami Bachar, Aishwarya Bhadre, Koparkhairne Block President Sunil Parkar, Block Vice-President Abhijit Kakade, Manoj Upadhyay, NSUI representative Rohit, women office-bearers, and local citizens participated in the march, holding placards, raising slogans, and waving torches.
Call for Election Transparency
“Serious questions are being raised about the functioning of the Election Commission. Voter list scams are weakening democracy. The Congress Party’s struggle against this injustice will intensify further,” Patil said, adding that the agitation would continue until the digital voter list data is released.
Public Support Fuels Movement
Organisers said the strong turnout and public backing had strengthened their resolve to continue the campaign, urging citizens to join what they called a fight to protect India’s democratic values.
