People Used to Decide Whom to Vote For, Now CEC Decides Who Can Vote”: Randhawa

Chandigarh, September 25, 2026: Despite suffering from viral fever, former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa attended the Congress protest organised in Chandigarh on Thursday. The demonstration was held over issues concerning electoral rolls and the electoral process.
During the protest, Randhawa launched sharp political attacks on the Central Government, the Chief Election Commissioner and the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab. He alleged that the real “vote thief” is the Chief Election Commissioner. He said Congress would continue its fight to protect democracy and the Constitution with full determination. “We will put the vote thieves behind bars and send the highly corrupt Mann government out of Punjab,” he said.
Randhawa said Rahul Gandhi has been raising questions regarding electoral rolls and the electoral process for a long time, and that protecting every citizen’s right to vote remains the Congress party’s highest priority. He alleged that earlier people used to decide whom they wanted to vote for, but now the Election Commission is deciding who should be allowed to vote. He claimed that the decision regarding whose vote will be deleted and whose vote will remain has effectively gone into the hands of the Chief Election Commissioner.
He said Congress has been raising the slogan “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod” against the Central Government in Parliament for the past two years over concerns related to the electoral process, and alleged that the real “thief” has now been exposed as the Chief Election Commissioner. Congress will intensify this fight from the streets to Parliament, he said. “Congress has caught the vote thief, and now we will also stop the theft,” Randhawa added.
“Our country achieved independence after immense struggle and sacrifice. The East India Company had come then, and today the BJP and RSS have become the East India Company. They are taking the country towards slavery once again. The Prime Minister and Home Minister never come to Parliament,” he said.
Randhawa alleged that India had won its freedom from the East India Company after making enormous sacrifices, but today the BJP and RSS have themselves become an “East India Company” and are once again pushing the country towards slavery. He also alleged that the Prime Minister and Home Minister are maintaining distance from Parliament and that democratic institutions are being weakened.
Targeting the Punjab government, Randhawa alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party government has failed to live up to its promises of improving law and order and eliminating corruption. He claimed that gangsterism and corruption have increased in the state and that serious questions are being raised over the role of the government and the police.
Randhawa said the Punjab Congress is completely united. “Congress has one clear objective — to eliminate gangsterism from Punjab and take on the highly corrupt Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann,” he said. He alleged that the Bhagwant Mann government and its police are in collusion with gangsters. “We have to put the vote thieves behind bars and send the corrupt government out of power,” he said.
Randhawa said the greatest strength of democracy is free, fair and transparent elections. If questions are raised over a voter’s rights, it is a matter of concern for the entire democratic framework. He said Congress would continue its democratic struggle to protect every citizen’s right to vote and oppose any attempt to suppress the voice of the people.