INDIA bloc to discuss fresh anti-CEC protests at virtual meet ahead of November 1 rally

The INDIA bloc is considering a fresh round of protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar in early November, with Opposition leaders set to discuss their strategy at a virtual meeting on Thursday evening ahead of a rally scheduled at Delhi's Ramlila Ground on November 1.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will chair the virtual meeting, which is expected to focus on the roadmap for protests over the 'vote chori' issue, preparations for the November 1 rally and ways to pressure the government over the Opposition's allegations against the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The discussions come after a series of marches in central Delhi during the second week of October, which brought together thousands of Opposition workers, students and civil society activists. Opposition leaders are now considering how to sustain the momentum of those demonstrations after a pause during Navaratri and Durga Puja.

The meeting also assumes significance amid speculation that the government could convene Parliament to pass a Constitution amendment bill involving delimitation, linked to the early implementation of the Women's Reservation Act.

Mock Parliament and fresh marches among options

Several ideas are being discussed for the next phase of the campaign, including repeating the large marches in central Delhi and organising a mock Parliament to highlight the Opposition's allegations against Kumar.

CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby told Hindustan Times that no final decision had been taken, but leaders were weighing different options after what he described as the political success of the earlier demonstrations.

“Various options are being considered at this stage. With the political success of our marches in the heart of Delhi, some leaders want a repetition of that massive mobilisation. Another idea is to hold a mock Parliament that will enact the impeachment of Gyanesh Kumar. Other steps have also been suggested,” Baby said.

Explaining the proposal for a mock Parliament, Baby said the organisers would invite eminent jurists and former Supreme Court judges to conduct a mock trial examining the allegations against the CEC. A participant would also be assigned to defend Kumar, he said, while the exercise would seek to underline what the Opposition considers grounds for his removal.

A senior Congress leader said there were no concrete plans yet, but the party's top leadership was working out the next steps. The leader reiterated that Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and Congress general secretary KC Venugopal had made it clear that the campaign would continue until Kumar resigned.

Another senior Opposition leader, who declined to be named, said decisions would be taken collectively rather than by any single constituent party. The INDIA bloc also plans to establish a coordination committee comprising representatives of its constituent parties to oversee the protest strategy.

The November 1 rally is expected to involve student organisations and civil society groups, in keeping with Gandhi's position that the various protests against alleged electoral irregularities form part of a common campaign.

Opposition's October marches and petition against the CEC

The latest discussions follow a series of large demonstrations in central Delhi in the second week of October, which brought together Opposition leaders, party workers, students and civil society activists. The protests triggered a fresh confrontation between the Opposition and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the conduct of the Election Commission and the revision of electoral rolls.

On October 9, Opposition leaders met President Droupadi Murmu to seek Kumar's resignation and the repeal of the 2023 law that provides immunity to the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners for acts performed in the discharge of their official duties. They also demanded an immediate suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and the restoration of 13.3 crore voters whom they alleged had been illegally removed from electoral rolls.

During the meeting, the President sought evidence from the Opposition to substantiate its allegations of 'vote chori'.

Three days later, on October 12, Gandhi led a major Opposition march through a heavily barricaded route in central Delhi towards the Supreme Court to submit a joint petition challenging decisions taken during the SIR exercise. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other Opposition leaders joined the initiative, alongside activists and civil society representatives, in what the parties described as a 'March for Democracy'.

The petition alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner had exercised the Election Commission of India's collective powers unilaterally and arbitrarily during the ongoing revision of electoral rolls. The petitioners sought a review of key decisions, arguing that constitutional guarantees of universal adult suffrage required protection.

They also raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process and alleged that eligible citizens were being denied their constitutional right to register as voters and exercise their franchise. The Opposition clarified that its petition did not seek to reopen the question of the validity of the SIR exercise itself.

The march marked a significant escalation in the Opposition's campaign, taking its allegations from street demonstrations to the Supreme Court.

Rahul Gandhi hosts INDIA bloc leaders as campaign continues

On October 13, Gandhi hosted leaders of INDIA bloc parties for tea at his residence. Following the meeting, the Opposition alliance pledged to continue its resistance and take the 'vote chori' campaign to its logical conclusion.

The discussions around the next round of protests have gained significance as the bloc seeks to maintain pressure on the government and the Election Commission following the October demonstrations. Leaders are considering whether another large mobilisation in the national capital would be the most effective approach or whether a mock Parliament and other forms of protest could draw greater attention to their allegations.

The proposed coordination committee is expected to help constituent parties agree on a common course of action and coordinate future demonstrations.

November 1 rally and the road ahead

Preparations are under way for the INDIA bloc's November 1 rally at Ramlila Ground in New Delhi, which is expected to focus on alleged mass disenfranchisement and the demand for Kumar's resignation. The Thursday evening virtual meeting, chaired by Kharge, is expected to review the arrangements and discuss how the alliance can broaden participation through student bodies and civil society organisations.

The meeting will also allow Opposition leaders to deliberate on the wider roadmap for protests over alleged electoral irregularities and ways to intensify their campaign against the government.

For now, the INDIA bloc has yet to finalise the format or timing of its proposed post-rally campaign. While early November is being considered for another round of protests, leaders have stressed that the decision will be taken collectively.

The alliance's immediate focus remains the November 1 rally, but its leaders have indicated that the campaign against alleged electoral irregularities and their demand for Gyanesh Kumar's resignation will continue beyond the demonstration.