New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) has said no political party had requested an appointment with it until 4pm on Tuesday, after which it was informed by Delhi Police that a delegation of Opposition MPs, led by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, wanted to meet the poll panel at the Parliament House Annexe.
According to the EC, the request was unusual as its established protocol requires meetings with political delegations to be held at the Election Commission’s premises.
The poll panel said it was informed by Delhi Police around 4 pm that the MPs wanted to submit a memorandum to the Commission. It was subsequently told that the delegation would comprise around 240 MPs and that the proposed meeting venue was the Parliament House Annexe.
The EC said it could not accept the request because such meetings, under its protocol, are conducted at its own premises. However, it offered to send its senior-most officer on duty to the Annexe to receive the memorandum.
The Commission said the MPs declined that offer as well.
In its statement, the EC said it respects parliamentary and democratic processes as well as its established protocols and conventions. It added that political parties are free to seek meetings with the Commission, following which a date and time are fixed mutually, depending on the panel’s schedule.
The EC also referred to procedures issued in 2025 for meetings with political parties, saying all parties had been informed of them. Under the procedure, a delegation from a political party or a joint delegation of several parties must request an appointment through an authorised representative, after which the meeting is scheduled at a mutually convenient time.
