Nationwide Wave of Youth Congress Protests Intensifies Over Alleged Electoral Irregularities
Youth Congress protests intensified across multiple states, with the Assam demonstration against the Election Commission’s Special Voter List Revision emerging as a focal point amid nationwide allegations of “vote theft.”
GUWAHATI/NEW DELHI – The Assam Youth Congress organized a massive protest in Guwahati against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. Protesters allege it enables “vote theft” or irregularities favoring certain parties — a common theme in recent Youth Congress actions nationwide, though this one is specifically in Guwahati.
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) and its youth wing have sharply criticised the Election Commission of India’s decision, announced on November 17, to conduct a “Special Revision” of voter lists in the state, with January 1, 2026, as the qualifying date and final publication scheduled for February 10, 2026.
Senior Congress leaders alleged that the process could lead to the exclusion of legitimate voters, particularly from minority communities, drawing parallels to claimed irregularities in Bihar.
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A Congress delegation met the state’s Chief Electoral Officer on November 18, expressing concerns over the limited role of Booth Level Agents (BLAs) until the draft roll’s publication on December 27. On the other hand, the state BJP government welcomed the ECI move, calling it essential for “clean and updated rolls.”
The Assam developments come amid a broader IYC-led agitation that peaked on November 20 in several states, centred on allegations of “vote chori” (vote theft) in recent elections and ongoing voter list revisions.
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RAJASTHAN – Hundreds of Rajasthan Youth Congress workers, led by national IYC president Uday Bhanu Chib, marched to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s residence, protesting alleged vote theft, farmer distress, and unemployment. Police deployed water cannons to disperse the crowd as protesters attempted to breach barricades. Chib declared, “We will not let democracy be destroyed.”
HIMACHAL PRADESH– Youth Congress activists staged a ‘Raj Bhawan Gherao’ (encirclement of Governor’s House) and burned an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing the BJP-ECI nexus of “stealing mandates” nationwide. National General Secretary Shesh Narayan Ojha led the march, highlighting voter roll irregularities as a “threat to democracy.”
KARNATAKA – IYC national president Uday Bhanu Chib joined a protest at Freedom Park against claimed “vote chori,” part of the ongoing series.
Earlier in November, similar demonstrations occurred in Delhi (November 7) over Haryana election alleged fraud, with protesters detained after scaling barricades and putting up “Vote Chor Commission” banners outside the ECI office.
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The IYC has framed these actions as a defence of constitutional values, with Rahul Gandhi’s earlier accusations of electoral manipulation serving as a rallying point. Party leaders claim the protests will continue until the ECI addresses demands for transparent digital voter lists and halts alleged deletions.
Authorities in various states reported minor detentions but no major violence. The Election Commission has maintained that all revision processes follow standard protocols to ensure accuracy and inclusivity.
As Assembly elections approach in several states, including Assam in 2026, the Youth Congress’s campaign underscores deepening political polarisation over electoral integrity. Opposition parties argue these issues erode public trust, while the ruling BJP dismisses the charges as baseless attempts to deflect from electoral defeats.
