‘United without egos’: Derek O’Brien signals INDIA bloc unity in anti-CEC protest

Trinamool Congress parliamentary leader Derek O’Brien on Wednesday underlined unity among INDIA bloc parties as Opposition leaders intensified their protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, saying the alliance was fighting together “without any egos”.

O’Brien made the remarks after Opposition MPs met at the invitation of Congress president and Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge in central Delhi. The leaders subsequently attempted to proceed to Jantar Mantar but were stopped by police, leading to another round of protests and detentions.

‘All here together’

“We are all here together, we are all here united, and we are all here without any egos,” O’Brien said, stressing the Opposition’s determination to continue the campaign. “We will fight these guys, till they are out,” he added.

His remarks came amid questions over coordination among INDIA bloc constituents during the demonstrations of the previous day. O’Brien’s intervention appeared aimed at emphasising that despite tactical differences among parties, the Opposition remained together on its campaign concerning the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

A day earlier, the TMC leader had similarly sought to highlight the scale of Opposition participation, saying more than 150 INDIA bloc MPs were on the ground in the Capital and describing the mobilisation as “high on energy” and “low on egos”.

Kharge calls meeting

Wednesday’s Opposition gathering followed Tuesday’s confrontation between INDIA bloc MPs and Delhi Police during an attempted march towards the Election Commission headquarters.

Kharge called leaders of the Opposition parties together on Wednesday, with O’Brien among those who attended. Left MPs P Sandosh Kumar and V Sivadasan were also present along with senior Congress leaders.

The meeting was intended to coordinate the Opposition’s next steps and its demand for an urgent engagement with the Election Commission over the SIR controversy. The leaders subsequently decided to head towards Jantar Mantar to continue the protest.

Before leaving, Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition would continue its campaign until Kumar resigned. “Yesterday, they said we cannot protest there, so we are taking the protest to Jantar Mantar,” he said.

MPs stopped again

The Opposition MPs were stopped by Delhi Police before they could reach Jantar Mantar. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other leaders subsequently staged a protest on the road before being detained.

The police action marked the second consecutive day on which the Opposition’s mobilisation in central Delhi resulted in detentions. On Tuesday, Rahul, Priyanka, O’Brien, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and several other leaders were among those detained after police stopped their march towards the Election Commission.

Rahul had climbed a police barricade and waved the Tricolour during Tuesday’s confrontation. A smaller group of Congress leaders subsequently staged a prolonged sit-in inside the Akashvani Bhawan complex.

TMC joins campaign

O’Brien’s participation assumes significance because the TMC has frequently maintained an independent political position despite being a constituent of the INDIA grouping.

During the latest protests, however, the party has joined other Opposition constituents in challenging the Election Commission over the electoral-roll revision. O’Brien participated in Tuesday’s mobilisation and returned for Wednesday’s meeting and protest.

His repeated references to the absence of “egos” were also a response to the broader question of whether Opposition parties could sustain coordinated action despite their political differences.

CEC resignation demand

The immediate focus of the protests is the Opposition’s demand for Kumar’s resignation and its objections to aspects of the SIR.

Opposition parties have alleged irregularities in the electoral-roll revision and argued that legitimate voters could be excluded. The Election Commission has rejected allegations of partisan wrongdoing and defended the revision exercise as necessary for maintaining accurate electoral rolls.

The allegations against Kumar remain political claims and have not been established as findings of wrongdoing by a court or other adjudicatory authority.

The protests have nevertheless provided the INDIA bloc with a common issue around which several of its constituents have mobilised. O’Brien’s remarks on Wednesday sought to reinforce that message, portraying the demonstrations not as an initiative of a single party but as a coordinated Opposition campaign.