INDIA Bloc Holds Maha Rally at Ramlila Maidan, Demands CEC’s Resignation
Thousands gather at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan as INDIA bloc leaders accuse the Election Commission of electoral irregularities and demand accountability from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
NEW DELHI: Leaders and supporters of the opposition INDIA bloc gathered at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on Sunday for a mega rally under the banner of ‘Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao’, intensifying their campaign against alleged irregularities in the electoral process.
The rally, organised as part of the opposition’s ‘Chalo Dilli’ mobilisation, focused on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition leaders demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, a halt to the revision exercise and the restoration of voters’ names allegedly deleted from electoral rolls.
The gathering was preceded by a march from the Connaught Place–Minto Road junction. Senior leaders from the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress and other INDIA bloc constituents participated in the demonstration. Security arrangements were strengthened across the capital, with Delhi Police deploying personnel and dividing the venue into multiple security zones.
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Rahul Gandhi Accuses Election Commission of Electoral Manipulation
Addressing the gathering, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged that large-scale deletion of voters’ names after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections amounted to a serious attack on democracy.
He claimed that approximately 13.5 crore names, representing around 15 per cent of voters, had been removed after the general elections. Gandhi alleged that such deletions had serious implications for the legitimacy of electoral outcomes.
He also directly targeted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of enabling electoral manipulation and warning that legal action would follow.
Gandhi described the alleged manipulation of voters’ lists as an attack on citizens’ democratic rights, asserting that the first step towards restoring democracy was accountability within the Election Commission.
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Kharge Calls for Political Accountability
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the BJP-led governments of benefiting from what he described as electoral irregularities.
Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Kharge alleged that the voting rights of Dalits, women and young people were being undermined.
He called upon supporters to continue the campaign against alleged vote theft and raised the slogan, “Modi hatao, loktantra bachao” (Remove Modi, save democracy).
Akhilesh Yadav Raises Concerns Over Voter Deletions
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav also addressed the rally, describing Ramlila Maidan as the “Haldighati of democracy”.
Yadav alleged that around 1.27 lakh Hindu voters’ names had been deleted in Uttar Pradesh and accused the Election Commission of failing to adequately address complaints raised by his party.
He also targeted the BJP ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, predicting a political change in the state.
Student Activist Raises Concerns Over Voting Rights
Neha Bora, national president of the All India Students’ Association (AISA), also addressed the gathering alongside senior opposition leaders.
She argued that the removal of citizens’ names from electoral rolls could undermine their democratic rights and questioned the basis on which people were being asked to establish their citizenship.
Bora accused the BJP and RSS of weakening democratic institutions and alleged that electoral roll manipulation was taking place in several states.
Opposition Leaders Unite Around Common Demands
Several prominent opposition leaders, including Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, were among those associated with the mobilisation.
The INDIA bloc’s principal demands include the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner, a halt to the SIR process, restoration of allegedly deleted voter names and greater transparency in electoral roll revision.
The BJP, meanwhile, dismissed the rally as political theatre, accusing the opposition of attempting to discredit constitutional institutions and create unnecessary controversy.
The mobilisation marks another major confrontation between the opposition and the ruling BJP over electoral processes and the functioning of the Election Commission.
At the centre of the dispute is the opposition’s allegation that electoral roll revisions are being used to influence voting rights. The Election Commission’s role, the transparency of the SIR exercise and the opposition’s allegations are likely to remain key issues in the political debate ahead of upcoming state elections.
