INDIA Bloc Protests in Delhi, Demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s Resignation
India’s opposition INDIA bloc has intensified its street protests in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.
The demonstrations have unfolded over several consecutive days, with opposition leaders attempting to march towards the Election Commission and later towards Jantar Mantar. Police stopped the protesters and detained several prominent leaders during the confrontations.
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has emerged as one of the main faces of the campaign. He has said the protests will continue until Kumar leaves office, framing the confrontation as a fight over the integrity of India’s electoral system.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and leaders from several INDIA bloc parties have also participated in the mobilisation. Opposition parties have accused the Election Commission of failing to adequately address their concerns over changes to voter lists.
The dispute centres largely on the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have raised concerns about voters allegedly being removed from electoral lists and have questioned procedures used to verify voter eligibility.
The Election Commission has rejected allegations that it has acted improperly or in a politically motivated manner. The poll panel has maintained that the electoral-roll revision process follows established procedures and has defended its decisions.
A separate dispute has also emerged over Form 6, the application used for inclusion of names in electoral rolls. Opposition leaders have accused the Election Commission of misleading the public about the Supreme Court’s position on changes connected with the SIR process.
The Supreme Court recently said it had not approved a modified version of Form 6 and indicated that it would examine the Election Commission’s records to determine what changes had been made and who had authorised them.
The opposition has cited those judicial observations as further justification for its demand that Kumar step down. The Election Commission, however, continues to maintain that its decisions on the SIR process were taken in accordance with its procedures and has rejected suggestions of a division within the three-member commission.
The protests have repeatedly brought parts of central Delhi to a standstill. Heavy police deployments and barricades have been placed around areas near Parliament, the Election Commission headquarters and Jantar Mantar.
On October 6, INDIA bloc MPs marched from Parliament towards the Election Commission but were stopped by police. They subsequently staged a sit-in on the road, with leaders raising slogans demanding Kumar’s resignation.
The following day, opposition MPs again attempted to reach Jantar Mantar. Police stopped buses carrying the lawmakers near central Delhi, after which Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and other leaders staged another sit-in.
Delhi Police said around 91 INDIA bloc leaders and workers were detained during the October 7 confrontation. The detained leaders were subsequently released.
The opposition has accused the government and Election Commission of attempting to suppress its protest, while BJP leaders have accused the INDIA bloc of creating disorder and obstructing public life.
The confrontation has also exposed differences within the broader opposition alliance. While many INDIA bloc parties have supported the demand for Kumar’s resignation, the level of participation and the political emphasis have varied among the constituent parties.
The INDIA bloc has sought a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu to present its concerns about the electoral-roll revision and its demand for Kumar’s removal.
The Election Commission has separately explained that opposition parties can request meetings with the commission through established procedures. It said a request involving a large group of MPs seeking to meet at Parliament House Annexe rather than at the Election Commission was considered unusual, although the panel offered to send a senior official to receive their memorandum.
The dispute is now developing into a larger political battle over public confidence in India’s electoral institutions. For the opposition, the voter-roll controversy has become a central issue in its campaign against the Election Commission.
For the Election Commission and the government, the controversy represents a challenge to the credibility of the electoral-roll revision process and the independence of the poll body.
With the INDIA bloc promising to continue its mobilisation, protests are expected to remain a major political issue in Delhi in the coming days. The immediate focus will be on whether the opposition can sustain its campaign and whether the Election Commission or the government takes any steps to address its demands.
