Congress to hold rally against 'vote chori' at Ramlila Maidan on Dec 14
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New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Friday announced that it will hold a rally on December 14 at Ramlila Maidan here, against the alleged "vote chori".
It alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is now a "blatantly partisan player" that is "completely destroying" the very concept of a level-playing field for all political parties during elections.
Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal said the spectre of "vote chori" is the biggest danger looming over our democracy today.
"To send a message across the nation against these attempts to destroy our Constitution, the Congress will hold the 'Vote Chor Gaddi Chhod' Maha Rally on December 14 (1.30 pm onwards) at Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi," he said on X.
"We have received crores of signatures from every corner of India, rejecting the BJP-ECI's nefarious tactics like adding bogus voters, deleting opposition-inclined voters, and manipulating voter rolls at a mass scale," Venugopal said.
Every Indian has seen how the ECI bends rules, ignores violations of model code of conduct, and indulges in daylight bribery to help the BJP rig elections, the Congress leader alleged.
"The ECI, which was once a neutral umpire, is now a blatantly partisan player -- completely destroying the very concept of a level-playing field in elections," he said.
"We will not remain silent as this attack on the electoral system unfolds in front of our eyes. This Maha Rally is only the beginning of our fight to reclaim Indian democracy from the clutches of the Vote Chors!" Venugopal said.
Earlier this week, the Congress accused the Election Commission of working on a "sinister design" to destroy the democracy and opposition parties through a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and vowed to take to the streets with a protest rally at Ramlila Maidan.
Upping the ante over its 'vote chori' pitch, the Congress had said that the poll body's conduct during the SIR process has been "deeply disappointing" as the exercise is aimed at deleting targeted votes.
The party had demanded that the Election Commission must immediately demonstrate that it is not operating under the BJP's shadow.
Days after the Bihar poll debacle, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday chaired a meeting with key office-bearers from 12 states and Union Territories (UT), where the SIR is underway. He had alleged that the BJP is attempting to "weaponise" the SIR exercise for "vote chori".
Kharge, MP and former party president Rahul Gandhi, and AICC general secretaries had participated in a review meeting with state unit chiefs, Congress Legislature Party leaders and secretaries of 12 states and UTs where the SIR is underway.
The states and UTs are Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep.
Among these, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and West Bengal will go to polls in 2026. Phase 2 of the SIR exercise began on November 4 and will continue till December 4.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
