Congress Announces Nationwide 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao' Campaign Targeting CEC Gyanesh Kumar

The Congress has announced a nationwide campaign titled "Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao" — Save the Vote, Save the Country — which the party says will focus on the functioning of the Election Commission of India and on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The party said the campaign would be taken to states across the country and would involve public meetings and outreach to voters on questions of electoral integrity. A detailed schedule of events was not immediately announced.

Mr Kumar was appointed Chief Election Commissioner in February 2025 under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023. The law provides for a selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

The Congress, whose Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha is Rahul Gandhi, objected to the manner in which the selection was carried out and recorded its dissent in the committee. The party subsequently moved the Supreme Court, which is hearing petitions concerning the 2023 Act and the appointment process. The Union government has maintained that the appointment was made in accordance with the law and that Mr Kumar, a former Union Home Ministry official, was chosen on the basis of seniority and service record.

The campaign follows months of friction between opposition parties and the Election Commission over the revision of electoral rolls. In Bihar, where a Special Intensive Revision of the rolls was carried out ahead of the assembly elections, opposition parties including the Congress alleged that the names of large numbers of genuine voters — many from poor and marginalised households — had been removed.

The Commission rejected the charge, stating that the revision was a statutory exercise carried out under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and that due process, including notices and hearings, was followed before any name was deleted. It has said no eligible voter would be left out and that anyone with a valid claim can seek redressal through the prescribed procedure.

Opposition parties have also pressed for the publication of disaggregated voter turnout data within a stipulated period. The Commission has said it will examine such demands within the framework of existing rules.

The Election Commission functions under Article 324 of the Constitution, which vests the superintendence, direction and control of elections in the Commission. The Commission has repeatedly stated that it acts independently and that its decisions are guided by the Constitution and the law.

The Congress has framed its campaign around the argument that public confidence in the electoral machinery is essential to democratic legitimacy. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has previously accused opposition parties of attacking constitutional institutions for political advantage, a charge the Congress rejects.

There was no immediate comment from the Election Commission or from the BJP on the announcement.

The campaign is the latest in a series of opposition mobilisations on electoral issues and is expected to run alongside the party's political activity in the months ahead. The Election Commission has said it will continue to conduct its work in accordance with the Constitution and the law.