The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday said that no political party had sought an appointment with the poll panel through its authorised representatives until 4 pm, even as it received information from the Delhi Police that a delegation of 240 MPs, led by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, wanted to meet the Commission and submit a memorandum.
The development came amid efforts by Opposition MPs to meet the poll panel over issues related to the electoral process.
According to the ECI, it first learnt through media reports that some MPs wanted to meet the Commission as part of a delegation. The poll panel said that, at around 4 pm, it was informed by the Delhi Police that a delegation led by Gandhi wanted to meet the Commission and hand over a memorandum.
The Commission said the request did not follow the established procedure for meetings with political parties. It said the poll panel had laid down a procedure in 2025 for such meetings and communicated it to all political parties.
Under the procedure, a delegation of a political party, or a joint delegation of several parties, seeking to meet the Commission is required to request an appointment through its duly authorised representative. The meeting is then scheduled at a time mutually agreed upon by both sides.
The ECI said that, while considering the request received after 4 pm, the Delhi Police’s Deputy Commissioner informed it that the proposed meeting involved a group of 240 MPs and was to be held at the Parliament House Annexe.
The poll panel described the request as “unusual” and said it could not accept the proposed arrangement because, according to its protocol, such meetings are held at the premises of the Election Commission of India.
As an alternative, the ECI proposed sending its most senior serving officer to the Parliament House Annexe to receive the memorandum from the MPs. The Commission said this would itself have been an unprecedented step. However, the proposal was declined by the MPs.
The ECI stressed that it respects Parliament and the country’s democratic processes, while also maintaining that its own protocols and established conventions are important.
The Commission said political parties are free to seek meetings with it at any time. Depending on the availability of time, the ECI can then determine the date and time of the meeting in consultation with the concerned representatives.
“This is the normal procedure,” the poll panel said, underlining that meetings with political parties are ordinarily arranged through an established process and by mutual agreement on the timing and venue.
