Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a controversial revision of the country’s electoral rolls.
The rally, organised by the opposition INDIA bloc and led by Rahul Gandhi’s Congress party, brought together several prominent opposition figures in a major show of unity against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Protesters gathered at Ramlila Maidan, waving flags and chanting slogans including “Save the vote, save the country” and “Vote thief, give up power”.
The demonstration was the latest in a series of protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which opposition parties claim has removed eligible voters and could benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Both the BJP and the Election Commission have rejected the allegations.
The atmosphere at the rally was lively, with some demonstrators singing and dancing to patriotic Bollywood songs while others gathered beneath a large canopy decorated in the colours of the Indian flag.
Rahul Gandhi and several senior opposition leaders arrived in an open jeep, travelling through cheering crowds. Among those present were Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, as well as regional party leaders Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, Mehbooba Mufti, Supriya Sule and Tejashwi Yadav.
Addressing the crowd, Gandhi said the gathering had sent a strong message to Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Kumar.
“This is not the voice of a single political party or of politicians. It is the voice of India’s youth, women, farmers and workers,” he said.
“We will not allow democracy to be destroyed in India. We will not allow the constitution to be destroyed.”
Other opposition leaders also criticised the Election Commission. Congress president Kharge vowed that the alliance would continue its campaign until Kumar resigned, while Banerjee pledged to keep fighting against what she described as threats to democracy.
However, senior BJP leader and federal minister JP Nadda accused the opposition of attempting to create unrest and destabilise the government under the pretext of defending democracy.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi on Sunday, he described the rally as a “calculated conspiracy to plunge the nation into anarchy – in the name of democracy”.
At the heart of the dispute is the SIR exercise, which has resulted in more than 130 million names being removed from India’s draft electoral rolls.
The Election Commission maintains that the exercise is necessary to eliminate duplicate registrations and remove the names of people who have died, moved away or are otherwise ineligible to vote. It has also said eligible voters who were wrongly excluded can apply to have their names restored.
Opposition parties, however, argue that legitimate voters are being removed and warn that the process could influence the outcome of future elections in favour of the BJP.
The controversy intensified in September after The Indian Express reported that Kumar had made key decisions concerning the revision despite repeated objections from the two other election commissioners.
The Election Commission responded that differences of opinion were normal within institutions and did not affect its functioning.
Sunday’s demonstration followed weeks of protests, including those organised by student groups and the Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
Last month, Gandhi led tens of thousands of people on a march from Connaught Place in central Delhi to the Supreme Court, calling for Kumar’s resignation.
The CJP supported Sunday’s rally but decided against taking part, with its founder Abhijeet Dipke saying the group wanted to preserve its independence from established political parties.
The gathering was held under strict conditions imposed by Delhi Police. Local media reported that organisers were required to end the event by 5pm, install CCTV cameras and ensure protesters remained within the designated grounds.
The restrictions came amid wider tensions over police handling of demonstrations in the capital. On October 10, several CJP leaders were detained during protests against Kumar. BBC reporters also witnessed police dragging demonstrators away and beating some with batons.
Despite the restrictions, Sunday’s rally at Ramlila Maidan remained largely peaceful, attracting people from different age groups and professions who expressed concerns about the integrity of India’s electoral process.
“We don’t even know if this is a people’s mandate or a stolen mandate,” Isha, a development sector professional from Delhi, told the BBC.
Delhi-based lawyer Deepro Guha said he was concerned about how the electoral roll revision had been conducted.
“It’s important because voting is the basis of democracy. If people’s names are removed without any explanation, there is a problem,” he said.
The rally came a day after opposition leaders staged a symbolic impeachment of Kumar on Saturday, accusing him of undermining the electoral process.
The mock proceedings carried no legal standing. Under Indian law, the chief election commissioner can only be removed through a formal parliamentary process.
Nevertheless, the move marked another display of unity by the INDIA bloc, an alliance of opposition parties formed in 2023 to challenge Modi’s BJP.
Modi did not directly address the symbolic impeachment but accused opposition parties at public rallies on Friday and Saturday of creating chaos and undermining the dignity of the Constitution.
