Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Y. S. Sharmila on Wednesday (June 10, 2026) accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of working hand in glove with the BJP leadership “to trample upon the democratic values built over years”.

In a post on X, Ms. Sharmila called the poll panel “The Election Commission of BJP” and said the rejection of Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination was “yet another example of how constitutional institutions are increasingly being bent to serve political interests”. “Such actions only reinforce concerns that independent bodies are being pressured to act in a manner that benefits the ruling dispensation, eroding public trust in the democratic process,” she said.

“Democracy cannot survive without strong, independent institutions, and every attempt to undermine them must be challenged with resolve and conviction,” she said. She opened the post with the line, “From ‘Vote Chori’ to ‘Seat Chori’!”