INDIA bloc rallies in Delhi for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation
Voter-list disputes now challenge public trust in election oversight
Overview
India’s opposition has turned a dispute over voter lists into a wider fight over trust in the Election Commission. On November 1, its leaders marched through Delhi to Ramlila Maidan after staging a symbolic public impeachment of Gyanesh Kumar. They demanded his resignation, alleging that the removed millions of eligible voters and weakened election safeguards. The opposition also wants paper ballots and changes to how election officials are appointed and held responsible.
The Election Commission says the revision followed the law. It says was unchanged and that only an can order names added or removed. The BJP says the opposition is attacking a lawful process. The dispute matters because voter-list decisions determine who can vote. The unresolved claims have grown into a wider crisis over whether India’s election referee is independent and trusted.
Timeline
The INDIA bloc marched to Ramlila Maidan and demanded Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation
Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav and other INDIA bloc leaders led a Delhi march under the slogan “.” Thousands of supporters gathered at Ramlila Maidan for a rally focused on alleged voter-roll irregularities connected to the . The opposition called for Kumar to resign as Chief Election Commissioner.
The INDIA bloc accused Gyanesh Kumar of enabling election manipulation and demanded a treason trial
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge read a resolution alleging that Kumar acted in a conspiracy to steal national and state elections. The opposition linked its charges to the Special Intensive Revision and alleged changes involving voter-registration procedures and electoral-roll administration. The resolution demanded Kumar’s removal and trial in accordance with the .
The INDIA bloc staged a symbolic public impeachment of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar
Twenty-one opposition parties held at Mallikarjun Kharge’s Delhi residence and adopted a six-point resolution seeking Kumar’s removal. The allegations included electoral-roll manipulation, large-scale voter deletions, changes to voter-registration rules without parliamentary oversight, and compromising the ’s independence. The action had no formal parliamentary or legal authority to remove the CEC.
Delhi Police confirmed permission for the INDIA bloc’s November 1 Ramlila Maidan rally
Delhi Police said it had granted a for the rally and denied that permission had been withdrawn. The event was planned as part of the opposition campaign against alleged irregularities in the of electoral rolls. Police said about 3,500 personnel and more than 200 CCTV cameras would support security arrangements.