The Indian National Congress has instructed senior leaders of the opposition I.N.D.I.A alliance to remain present in the national capital till at least Tuesday night when the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections is expected to be completed or even until Wednesday morning.

According to sources, the opposition bloc plans to finalize a course of action based on the outcomes of the parliamentary polls whose counting begins on Tuesday at 8 AM. Their strategy could potentially include holding protests, press conferences, and seeking an audience with the President.

Through these measures, the I.N.D.I.A parties aim to raise questions about the functioning of the Election Commission, if the results are perceived to be inconsistent with their own assessments and expectations.

"We want the counting process to be carried out strictly as per rules, with postal ballots being preferentially counted before EVM votes," said Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who led a delegation meeting with the full Election Commission bench on Sunday.

The I.N.D.I.A bloc has expressed concerns over any alleged irregularities and appears geared to challenge unfavorable outcomes through constitutional means.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has reportedly backed this strategy of the opposition Front.

On Sunday, besides Singhvi, other opposition leaders like Salman Khurshid, D Raja, Ram Gopal Yadav, and Sitaram Yechury were part of the delegation that met EC officials.

A BJP delegation led by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also met the poll panel after the opposition's representation.

As the marathon seven-phase polls draw to a close, the opposition is bracing for any potential face-off over the integrity of the counting exercise and the final results.