The INDIA Bloc protest campaign against alleged electoral irregularities is set to intensify in the national capital, with opposition leaders planning a symbolic “public impeachment” of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on October 30, followed by a march to Ramlila Maidan on November 1. The opposition alliance has said the two events will form part of its broader campaign against alleged “vote chori” and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
According to Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, the October 30 programme will take the form of a mock Parliament at Hotel Ashok in New Delhi. Opposition MPs and senior leaders from INDIA Bloc parties are expected to participate. The event is intended to announce what the alliance describes as a public verdict against the Chief Election Commissioner. The proposed proceeding is a political demonstration, not a formal impeachment process under the Constitution.
INDIA Bloc protest to hold symbolic public impeachment of CEC
Announcing the programme, Venugopal said the alliance would hold a “Public Impeachment” proceeding on October 30 and deliver what it calls the public’s verdict on Gyanesh Kumar. The opposition has accused the Election Commission of irregularities linked to electoral rolls, allegations that remain contested.
The planned mock Parliament is expected to bring together opposition MPs and senior leaders at Hotel Ashok. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has reached out to INDIA Bloc parties, asking their leaders to be present in Delhi for the two-day programme of political mobilisation, Venugopal said.
The INDIA Bloc protest is part of a wider opposition campaign seeking accountability over alleged voter deletions and concerns about the SIR exercise. The alliance has demanded action over what it describes as electoral irregularities and has called for Kumar’s resignation. These remain the opposition’s allegations and should not be treated as established findings.
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INDIA Bloc protest to culminate in Dilli Chalo march
The second major event is scheduled for November 1, when opposition leaders plan to lead a “Dilli Chalo” march culminating at Ramlila Maidan. Venugopal described the proposed gathering as the alliance’s biggest mobilisation against “vote chori” and said people from across the country would be encouraged to attend.
Congress leaders have begun coordinating preparations with party units and affiliated organisations. On October 24, Venugopal said meetings had been held with representatives of the party’s frontal organisations and Delhi unit leaders to review arrangements for the rally. The leadership had also held discussions with leaders from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana in the preceding days.
Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba said the party was targeting a turnout of 10 lakh people. She rejected suggestions that the rally could be postponed or cancelled because of the festival season, maintaining that preparations were continuing.
The INDIA Bloc protest will therefore combine the October 30 symbolic proceeding with a mass mobilisation two days later. The actual turnout will depend on participation by party workers, supporters and other citizens.
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INDIA Bloc protest focuses on SIR and alleged voter deletions
The opposition’s campaign centres on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and allegations that large numbers of voters have been excluded improperly. The alliance says the November 1 rally will demonstrate its unity in defending democratic institutions and demand accountability from the Election Commission.
On October 12, opposition leaders, activists and civil society members participated in a “March for Democracy” in New Delhi. The gathering took place near a heavily barricaded route and was accompanied by the filing of a joint petition challenging aspects of the SIR process, according to the report.
The upcoming INDIA Bloc protest marks another stage in the opposition’s effort to bring its concerns over electoral rolls into the public domain. The October 30 programme is designed as a symbolic political proceeding, while the November 1 march is intended to demonstrate the alliance’s organisational strength.
The Election Commission’s response to the opposition’s allegations and the outcome of legal challenges will remain central to the wider dispute. The planned events are expected to bring renewed attention to questions over voter-list revisions, institutional accountability and the safeguards governing India’s electoral process.