The INDIA bloc is considering fresh protests against CEC Gyanesh Kumar after its November 1 rally in DelhiPlans under discussion include another large march and a mock Parliament to highlight the Opposition’s allegations over voter-list revisions and demand Kumar’s resignation.
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INDIA Bloc’s next move against CEC Gyanesh Kumar in early November: Mock trial, fresh march on the cards (PTI news)
The Opposition INDIA bloc is considering another round of protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar in early November, following its planned rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on November 1Opposition leaders are discussing different ways to continue their campaign after a series of marches in central Delhi earlier this monthHowever, no final decision has been taken on the next phase of the agitation.
According to CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby, some leaders want to organise another large march, while others have suggested holding a mock Parliament to highlight their allegations against KumarSpeaking to the Hindustan Times, Baby said the leaders were exploring several options after the recent demonstrations received considerable political attention.
One proposal involves inviting legal experts and former Supreme Court judges to take part in a mock trialThe event would present the Opposition’s allegations against Kumar, with another participant defending him.
A senior Congress leader said the party’s top leadership was discussing the next stepsThe leader also recalled that Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary KC Venugopal had said the protests would continue until Kumar resigned.
INDIA Bloc rally scheduled for November 1
The Opposition’s next major event is scheduled for November 1 at Ramlila Maidan in New DelhiThe rally is part of its campaign against alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls and its demand for Kumar’s removal.
The Congress has received permission from Delhi Police to hold the rallyStudents’ groups and civil society organisations are also expected to participate, according to reports.
The INDIA bloc is planning to bring together political parties and other groups to expand the campaign beyond party workersThe opposition parties are also expected to form a coordination committee to plan and manage future demonstrations.
The proposed committee would include representatives from different parties in the INDIA bloc, allowing them to make decisions collectively rather than leaving the planning to any single party.
Why is the opposition protesting?
The protests are linked to the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, an exercise aimed at reviewing and updating voter lists.
Opposition parties have alleged that the process has led to the removal of millions of eligible voters’ names from electoral rollsThey have demanded that the exercise be suspended and that the names of eligible voters who were wrongly removed be restored.
The Opposition has also called for Kumar’s resignation and sought the repeal of a 2023 law that provides legal protection to the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners for certain official acts.
The Election Commission’s voter services portal provides facilities for citizens to check their names on electoral rolls, apply for voter registration and track applicationsVoters can also use the available services to raise concerns about their registration status.
Opposition leaders meet President Murmu
On October 9, Opposition leaders met President Droupadi Murmu and raised their concerns about the voter-list revision processThey sought Kumar’s resignation, the suspension of the SIR exercise and the restoration of the names of eligible voters allegedly removed from the lists.
During the meeting, the President sought evidence from the Opposition to support its allegations of vote theft.
Three days later, on October 12, Rahul Gandhi led a march towards the Supreme Court, where Opposition leaders submitted a petition challenging aspects of the Election Commission’s handling of the revision process.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other leaders alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner had exercised the Election Commission’s collective powers in an arbitrary manner during the ongoing SIR exercise.
Their petition raised concerns about the fairness of the electoral process and the constitutional right of eligible citizens to register as voters and cast their votesThe petitioners clarified that they were not seeking to reopen the question of the validity of the SIR exercise itself.
