‘Save democracy’, ‘Save my vote’. With posters in hand, the Opposition MPs from INDIA bloc are raising slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, demanding his resignation over alleged vote theft. The Opposition MPs gathered outside Parliament Tuesday morning and carried out a march towards Nirvachan Sadan — the Election Commission headquarters in the Capital. Rahul Gandhi, the Lead of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, along with other MPs is currently sitting on the road after being stopped from marching.
Two key opposition parties — the DMK and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — have stayed away from the INDIA bloc march. INDIA bloc has called for a return to the ballot votes, rejecting the EVMs or Electronic Voting Machines in the light of recent reports about the internal workings of the Election Commission. Several INDIA bloc MPs sit on dharna at Parliament Street after their march prevented from proceeding to Election Commission headquarters. The Opposition MPs have crossed Transport Bhawan and are marching towards Nirvachan Sadan — the Election Commission headquarters in the Capital — demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Opposition MPs from the INDIA bloc are marching from Parliament to Nirvachan Sadan — the Election Commission headquarters in the Capital.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, speaking at the INDIA bloc meet last week on September 30, listed out five demands: pre-SIR rolls to be used for future elections, an effective appeal mechanism before a voter is removed from poll rolls, protection of eligible voters from exlusion caused by administrative failures, voting through ballots, simple and accessible voter registration for first-time voters.
