Congress to hold 'mashal' marches, meets, signature campaign against 'vote theft'

New Delhi: The All India Congress Committee (AICC) on Tuesday decided to hold a nation-wide signature campaign, 'mashal' (torch) marches in districts and protest rallies in state capitals to take forward the party's agitation against the alleged 'vote-theft' issue and the alleged Election Commissions-BJP nexus in it following party leader Rahul Gandhi's charge of over one lakh fake voters in an assembly constituency in Karnataka, party sources said.

According to the campaign/ agitational programmes framed up at a meeting here of the AICC office-bearers, presided over by party president Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by Gandhi, on August 14 night (eve of Independence day), 'mashal marches' will be held in all districts; from September 15 to October 15, signatures will be collected from people to send to the Election Commission of India to protest against 'vote theft' and the poll body's and BJP's alleged role in it. From August 22 to September 7, 'vote thieves quit chair' rallies will be held in the state capitals, party functionary Kanahaiya Kumar told the media.

At the meeting, Gandhi is learnt to have explained to the AICC office-bearers the highlights of his recent presentation about a Karnataka assembly seat with Mallikarjun Kharge and others congratulating him for that.

Sources said Kharge also showered praises on Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for the way she participated in Monday's MPs' protest against the Special Intensive Revision, especially for "being the only one who actually sat on the ground and protested".