AAP to back youth protest outside Chandigarh EC office against alleged ‘vote-chori’, seeks CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will extend support to youth groups protesting outside the Election Commission office in Chandigarh on Saturday against alleged “vote-chori” and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, with several senior party leaders expected to join the demonstration.

The protest is being organised in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s campaign against alleged electoral manipulation and to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

AAP leaders expected to participate include Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia, Punjab president and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora, Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Cabinet Minister Dr Baljit Kaur and party media in-charge Baltej Pannu, along with other ministers, MLAs and party workers.

Sisodia said voting rights belonged to citizens and could not be treated as anyone’s personal property. He said he would join the Chandigarh demonstration to oppose what the party describes as vote theft and alleged attempts to undermine the electoral process.

Arora said the protest was important for protecting the country’s democratic system. He echoed Sisodia’s position that citizens’ votes could not be taken away at anyone’s discretion and called for public participation against alleged electoral manipulation.

Cheema said safeguarding the right to vote was the responsibility of every Indian. He announced that the party would demonstrate outside the Chandigarh Election Commission office in solidarity with the CJP-led protest against what he described as attacks on voting rights.

Dr Baljit Kaur said the vote was the foundation of democracy and that electoral manipulation could not be tolerated. She said she would join the protest to raise her voice in defence of voting rights.

Pannu also called on people to participate in the demonstration, alleging that the Election Commission had failed to protect the electoral process. He said the protest was intended to defend democracy and oppose alleged “vote-chori”.

The demonstration comes amid political objections to the SIR process and demands for accountability from the Election Commission. The allegations of electoral manipulation remain claims made by the protesting parties.