INDIA Bloc in Dialogue Over Bogus Voting Proof, Says Gaurav Gogoi

Congress MP and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi said that Thursday’s meeting of the Opposition INDIA bloc—hosted by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi—was marked by a “positive atmosphere of dialogue, friendship, and harmony.”

“Rahul Gandhi invited leaders of the INDIA Alliance and chief ministers of various states to his residence for an interaction,” Gogoi told the national press after the meeting. “Leaders from about 24 parties were present—Sharad Pawar, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Tejashwi Yadav, former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah, and many others. The way we questioned the government in Parliament, unitedly, in public and national interest, the same spirit was reflected today.”

#WATCH | Delhi: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi says, "Today, Rahul Gandhi invited leaders of the INDIA Alliance and CMs of various states at his residence, for an interaction. Leaders from about 24 parties are present here. Senior leaders like Sharad Pawar, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah,… pic.twitter.com/o4NcyNdzX6

— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2025

According to Gogoi, Gandhi used the occasion to present what he claimed was concrete evidence of “fake voters” and “bogus voting” allegedly facilitated under the BJP-led dispensation. “He addressed the media earlier on these issues, and at the meeting, he shared the same evidence with leaders from across the spectrum. There were questions, there was dialogue, and there was consensus that this is a serious threat to democracy,” Gogoi added.

Opposition Targets Special Electoral Roll Revision in Bihar

One of the key decisions taken at the high-profile dinner diplomacy meet was to launch a coordinated challenge against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, which the alliance claims is part of the BJP and Election Commission’s “vote chori model” (vote theft model).

The bloc is expected to mount legal, political, and grassroots challenges to what they allege is systematic manipulation of voter lists—an issue they say could have national implications beyond Bihar.

VP Candidate Talks Gain Momentum

The INDIA bloc also moved closer to finalising its strategy for the upcoming Vice Presidential election. The matter was discussed in a smaller, closed-door session involving top leaders from 12 parties, including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress), Akhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena–UBT), Kanimozhi (DMK), and M A Baby (CPI-M).

While some leaders expressed caution over fielding a candidate against the NDA—given the latter’s numerical advantage in the Electoral College—CPI-M’s M A Baby strongly argued for contesting the election to present an ideological and democratic alternative.

This discussion came hours after the NDA formally authorised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president JP Nadda to handpick the ruling alliance’s Vice Presidential nominee.

Thursday’s gathering drew over 50 senior leaders from 25 parties, underscoring the bloc’s intent to project unity ahead of a busy political calendar. The meeting was as much about strategising on electoral and institutional issues as it was about reinforcing interpersonal and inter-party relationships—an approach Rahul Gandhi has increasingly favoured since becoming Leader of Opposition.

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