The Election Commission of India on Tuesday clarified that no political party had sought an appointment to meet the Commission before 4 pm, even as a march by certain parties toward its offices generated media reports of a planned interaction.
The statement came after Delhi Police informed the Commission around 4 pm that a delegation of MPs, led by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, wished to submit a memorandum.
According to the Commission, the request that followed was for a meeting with a group of 240 MPs at the Parliament House Annexe. Officials described the proposal as unusual and declined it, noting that meetings with political parties are held only on the premises of the Election Commission under an established protocol. The Commission instead offered to send its senior-most officer on duty to the venue to receive the memorandum—a step it called unprecedented—but the offer was declined.
The clarification restates a procedure the Commission laid down in 2025 and communicated to all political parties. Under that process, a party or joint delegation seeks an appointment through its duly authorised representative, after which a mutually agreed time is fixed. The Commission said this remains the regular practice and that any party may request a meeting at any time, subject to scheduling.
“ECI respects the parliamentary and democratic processes of the country, as well as its own protocols and conventions, which are of utmost importance,” the statement said. It added that the Commission was still considering the post-4 pm proposal when police conveyed the scale and proposed venue of the gathering.
The episode unfolded against the backdrop of a march toward the Commission’s offices earlier in the day. The Commission emphasised that, until the police message arrived, no formal request for an appointment had been received from any political party through its representatives.