AAP joins Opposition protest at Delhi CEO office over alleged vote theft

Aam Aadmi Party and Delhi Congress workers began a protest outside the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer's office at Kashmere Gate on Wednesday. The parties are protesting against alleged electoral-roll manipulation and the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision exercise.

India Today reported that the protest was under way by 2.12 pm and that a heavy police force had been deployed outside the office. No detention or clash at the Kashmere Gate protest had been reported when this copy was prepared.

AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj had called on party workers, supporters and leaders to join the demonstration in large numbers. The party's statement said Congress, Left parties and other Delhi-based Opposition groups had also been invited to participate.

Bharadwaj said AAP would join street protests over what Opposition parties describe as "vote theft". The phrase reflects the parties' allegation and is not an established finding against the Election Commission.

AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal also demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Kejriwal alleged that genuine voters were being removed and ineligible voters added during electoral-roll revisions, claims that require verification against Election Commission records.

The protest marks AAP's return to a joint Opposition demonstration after the party stayed away from Tuesday's INDIA bloc march towards the Election Commission headquarters. That march ended with Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other Opposition leaders being detained and later released.

Delhi Police said Tuesday's march had not received permission and that protesters entered the Akashvani Bhavan premises and staged a sit-in. Police said around 260 people, including 10 members of Parliament, were detained to maintain law and order.

Wednesday's protest is being held at the Delhi CEO's office in Kashmere Gate, separate from the Election Commission headquarters at Nirvachan Sadan. AAP's announcement described it as part of a broader Opposition campaign against alleged voter deletions and the SIR exercise.

No response from the Delhi CEO or the Election Commission to Wednesday's protest was available in the reports reviewed for this copy.