INDIA Bloc Meets in Delhi to Oust Election Chief

At least 21 opposition parties will convene on September 30 at the Constitution Club in New Delhi to strategize the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The meeting, urged by Mamata Banerjee and coordinated with Rahul Gandhi, follows allegations of poll-roll manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The opposition claims the SIR was used for vote theft in favor of the BJP, a charge Rahul Gandhi characterized as match-fixing India's elections.

The push for Kumar's resignation intensified after reports surfaced that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected to SIR procedures 14 times over 10 months. While the Election Commission of India denied any internal split and maintained that decisions were unanimous, the opposition plans to draft a new impeachment notice and may petition President Droupadi Murmu. Proposed actions include a nationwide agitation starting October 2 in Mumbai and a 12-day bus yatra from Patna to Delhi led by Yashwant Sinha.

Participation in the meeting is mixed. While the Congress, Trinamool Congress, RJD, and National Conference will attend, the Aam Aadmi Party and DMK will skip the gathering. The Aam Aadmi Party stated it is not part of the alliance but pledged to support an impeachment motion in Parliament. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav will also miss the meeting to lead a farmers conference in Lucknow, sending representatives in his stead.