The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) organised a protest rally in Hyderabad on Monday (September 28, 2026) concerning the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The rally was held as part of a nationwide call by the All India Congress Committee (AICC). It began at the Indira Gandhi statue on Necklace Road (along the banks of Hussain Sagar lake) and proceeded towards the Election Commission / Chief Electoral Officer’s office area near Buddha Bhavan / BRK Bhavan.
TPCC President B. Mahesh Kumar Goud
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka
Ministers Duddilla Sridhar Babu, Ponnam Prabhakar, and Mohammed Azharuddin
Bhongir MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy
Several MLAs, MLCs, and senior party leaders
Protesters carried placards with slogans such as “Vote Chori” and “Democracy Ke Dushman.” They also burnt effigies of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar (and in some reports, of other political figures).
Leaders demanded the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. They raised concerns over the ECI’s decision-making process during the SIR exercise, alleging unilateral actions and large-scale deletion of voter names from draft electoral rolls.
TPCC chief Mahesh Kumar Goud stated that the functioning of the Election Commission had raised serious concerns. He said the ECI should be accountable to the people and that the CEC cannot take unilateral decisions. He called for the Commission to address apprehensions over the mass deletion of voters.
Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, carrying a copy of the Indian Constitution, urged democratic forces to join the struggle. Leaders submitted a memorandum to the Chief Electoral Officer outlining their concerns and demands for restoration of deleted votes and greater transparency.
Congress leaders claimed that Election Commissioners had recorded objections on multiple occasions related to voter registration, deletions, and the SIR process. They cited reports of widespread removals from draft rolls across states (the party has referred to figures in the crores nationally).