Track live updates The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday said no political party had formally sought an appointment with the poll panel before 4 pm, after reports emerged that a group of MPs wanted to meet the Commission and submit a memorandum.
All political parties have been informed about this procedure and follow it. Whenever a delegation of a political party, or a joint delegation of several parties, wishes to meet the Commission, it seeks an appointment through its duly authorised representative. The meeting is then held at a time mutually agreed upon by both sides,” the statement read. It proposed sending its most senior serving officer to the Parliament Annexe to receive the memorandum from the MPs. “Any political party can request a meeting with the Election Commission at any time, and the Commission can, depending on the availability of time, decide the date and time of the meeting. This is a normal process,” the statement read.
The Election Commission considered this request unusual and could not accept it because, as per protocol, such meetings are held only at the premises of the Election Commission of India,” the statement read. In a press note, the ECI said it was informed by the Delhi Police at around 4 pm that a delegation of MPs, led by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, wanted to meet the Commission. “The Election Commission of India had laid down a procedure in 2025 for meetings with political parties. The Delhi Police’s deputy commissioner later informed the Commission that the proposed meeting involved around 240 MPs and was to be held at the Parliament House Annexe, according to the ECI. “When the Election Commission was considering the proposal for the meeting with the MPs after 4 pm today, the DCP of Delhi Police informed it that the meeting being sought was with a group of 240 MPs and that the proposed venue was Parliament House Annexe.
The ECI, however, said it offered an alternative. The poll panel described this as an “unprecedented” step but said the proposal was also declined by the MPs.
