Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday (3 October 2026) said illegal elections are being held across the country and that governments formed through them lack legitimacy. Speaking to reporters, he declared that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an “illegal Prime Minister”, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is an “illegal Home Minister”, and every Chief Minister elected under the present system is illegal.
The statement covers all sitting Chief Ministers. That includes Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, who was sworn in in May 2026. Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, had attended the ceremony.
Going by Congress chief Kharge’s statements, he considers even CMs of his own party in Kerala, Telangana and Karnataka are apparently “illegal” as they’ve been elected under the current system.
• देश में illegal चुनाव हो रहे हैं
• मोदी illegal प्रधानमंत्री हैं
• शाह illegal गृह मंत्री हैं
• सारे मुख्यमंत्री illegal हैंसरकारें भंग की जाएं और बैलेट पर चुनाव कराए जाएं।
मोदी और शाह SIR के जरिए देश को बर्बाद कर रहे हैं, लोकतंत्र को खत्म करने में लगे हैं।
: कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष श्री @kharge
— Congress (@INCIndia) October 3, 2026
He said the Lok Sabha and state assemblies should be dissolved and fresh elections held using ballot papers rather than electronic voting machines. He alleged that EVMs are being misused and that “their own people” have said so. He further charged that Modi and Shah are ruining the country through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and are engaged in “destroying democracy”.
At a Congress Working Committee meeting, the party demanded the resignations of Modi, Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, called the CEC a “puppet,” and sought suspension of the SIR. Party leaders have described large-scale deletions from voter lists as “vote-demonetisation” and argued that changes to registration forms and the conduct of the revision undermine universal adult suffrage.
Kharge told reporters that legal recourse is unavailable because, in his view, the law, the judiciary, the Election Commission and the machines themselves are under the control of the ruling side. He said votes are altered on instruction and that Modi and Shah should therefore leave office through the democratic process he claims they have compromised.
Subscribe to our channels on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and YouTube to get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
