New Delhi: The Opposition’s protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is set to move into a new phase on Tuesday (October 6), as INDIA bloc MPs march from Parliament to Nirvachan Sadan, the Election Commission (EC) headquarters, in New Delhi.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav are among the leaders who have joined the procession. Akhilesh’s participation gives the protest added weight as the Samajwadi Party (SP) is the second-largest Opposition party in the Lok Sabha after the Congress. The Congress had also invited the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) to join the programme. The Opposition’s campaign includes parties that have been raising objections to the SIR exercise and the EC’s handling of voter rolls. The Congress has prepared a longer programme that will continue beyond Tuesday’s march. The programme will include bicycle and motorcycle rallies, distribution of pamphlets and burning of Kumar’s effigies. The programme has been drawn up to keep the SIR issue active through the Winter Session of Parliament. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi led the discussions.
It has 37 MPs in the Lower House. In a change of stance, the party has also invited its two estranged allies — the DMK and the AAP — to join the INDIA bloc’s march to the Election Commission on Tuesday and attend the Ramlila Maidan rally on November 1.
the AAP said it will not take part in Tuesday’s march While the DMK declined the invitation. From October 10 to October 20, party workers will hold a “Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao” campaign at the block level. Congress leaders have also said that they plan to take the campaign to the five states scheduled to hold assembly elections in February. Earlier reporting noted: Congress plans nationwide stir seeking CEC’s removal; restoration of eligible voters among the 130 million deleted The Congress said on Monday it will launch a series of protests under the banner “Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao” to demand the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the restoration of the names of eligible voters among the 130 million deleted from the electoral rolls. Earlier reporting noted: From October 10 to November 26, the Congress plans to hold marches, rallies and village meetings as part of a “continuous, aggressive campaign” against Kumar.
Earlier reporting noted: The party held a preparatory meeting attended by all general secretaries, in-charges and state unit chiefs.
The procession began from Makar Dwar to end at the EC headquarters, where Opposition parties plan to press their demand for Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. They are also expected to meet President Droupadi Murmu to raise concerns over the exercise. A total of 19 Opposition parties are taking part in the march.
The programme will then move to the booth level. Senior party leaders are expected to attend these meetings. Between October 25 and November 25, Congress workers will organise ‘Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao’ chaupal meetings at polling booth level.
