Opposition MPs March to Demand Chief Election Commissioner's Resignation
INDIA bloc leaders and MPs marched in New Delhi demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over alleged mass voter deletions and electoral roll irregularities.
Opposition lawmakers from the INDIA bloc, joined by the Biju Janata Dal, staged a massive protest march from Parliament House to the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters in New Delhi on October 6, 2026. Led by Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, the demonstrators demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of overseeing a "vote chori" (vote theft) scandal. The protests center on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which the opposition claims resulted in the arbitrary deletion of up to 13 crore voters nationwide to benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The demonstration followed a Supreme Court of India observation that the court had not approved a modified version of Form 6 used for voter enrollment. Opposition leaders further alleged that Kumar made 14 crucial decisions unilaterally, despite recorded objections from other Election Commissioners. The ECI rejected these claims, asserting that all SIR decisions were unanimous and that the opposition failed to follow formal protocols for requesting a meeting.
Security forces, including the Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force, blocked the march with barricades, leading to clashes and the detention of hundreds of participants, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Akhilesh Yadav. Many protesters staged a nine-hour sit-in at the Akashvani Bhavan complex before being forcibly removed. The BJP dismissed the protests as "street theatrics" and a sponsored attempt to create anarchy. The opposition has announced a broader "Save Democracy" campaign, including district-level padyatras and a massive rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1.
