- Over 200 Youth Congress members suspended across seven states.
- Suspensions due to absence from INDIA bloc's Delhi rally.
- Members cite personal reasons, question party's disciplinary action.
The Indian Youth Congress has suspended more than 200 members for missing the INDIA bloc's November 1 rally in Delhi, triggering discontent within the organisation reported ANI. The disciplinary action comes days after Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi led the mega rally against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral irregularities.
Indian Youth Congress has suspended more than 200 office bearers from 7 states for not participating in the rally called by INDIA bloc on CEC Gyanesh Kumar issue.
— ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2026
According to an NDTV report, suspension letters revealed that members across seven states have been suspended so far and asked to explain their absence. The number could reportedly rise to 500 as the disciplinary review continues.
The action has left several Youth Congress members shocked, with some questioning how years of service to the party could be overlooked because they missed a single event.
"We faced FIRs and went to jail for the party. Are we being removed just for missing one event?" Rohit Rajoria, a general secretary of the Youth Congress, told NDTV.
Rajoria said he was removed from his post without being given an opportunity to explain his absence. He claimed he was attending his late uncle's funeral and had informed the party leadership about his inability to travel to Delhi.
He also alleged that the Congress party's youth wing had acted arbitrarily despite his 15 years of service. During this period, he was named in 15 FIRs and jailed three to four times for participating in protests organised by the party.
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As evidence, Rajoria showed a funeral card inviting people to the 'tervi', or the 13th-day remembrance ceremony, of his late uncle. He said he had informed the party leadership well in advance about the bereavement and his inability to attend Rahul Gandhi's rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1.
He also questioned how the party expected to return to power under such circumstances.
Madhya Pradesh saw the highest number of suspensions, with 60 Youth Congress members facing disciplinary action. This was followed by Gujarat with 49, West Bengal with 26, Telangana with 14, central Uttar Pradesh with 13, Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh with 13 and Haryana with 10, NDTV reported.
The disciplinary action follows the Congress's directive asking all national, state and district-level members to attend both the November 1 rally and the preceding march. Attendance had been made mandatory for the protest.
The organisation had also introduced digital attendance tracking, installing barcode scanners at the Minto Road assembly point. Members and accompanying workers were instructed to check in through the Youth Congress's official mobile application, 'With IYC'.
Meanwhile, several suspended leaders have cited personal and family commitments for missing the rally.
Maihar district president Saurabh Sharma told The Indian Express that he could not attend because his elder brother had become a father.
“I had a programme because my elder brother had a son. I informed the state president and other officials. I had also given the invitation. Later, I was informed about this rally. After 12 years, my brother had a son; I could not miss it,” he said.
Sharma said the organisation could have issued show-cause notices and sought explanations before suspending the leaders.
Manvendra Mishra, the Youth Congress's Anuppur district president, said he could not travel to Delhi because he was unwell. However, he admitted that he had not informed the organisation's state leadership about his absence.
Another Youth Congress vice-president, Shivraj Singh Yadav, told The Indian Express that he missed the rally because of his younger sister's wedding.
“My younger sister was getting married. I was the only brother. There was a lot of work that had to be done. I could not go to the rally. I have informed my seniors about the reasons. Now I am awaiting their decision,” he said.
INDIA bloc leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, attended the rally to protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Top Opposition leaders and supporters from across the country gathered for the INDIA bloc's 'Chalo Delhi' protest march, raising concerns over the SIR exercise and alleged irregularities in electoral rolls.
The march began at the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction and proceeded towards Ramlila Maidan. It followed a public 'impeachment' programme against the CEC held in the national capital on October 31.