INDIA Bloc Leaders Address Ramlila Maidan Rally Demanding CEC Resignation

Thousands of supporters from the INDIA bloc parties assembled at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on Sunday as senior leaders demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over claims of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, addressed the gathering after leading a procession from the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction. He stated that votes had been deleted and added to lists across multiple states, including Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Gandhi described the process as involving both electronic voting machines and roll manipulations.

Other leaders present included Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, and representatives from CPI(M), CPI, and other alliance partners. They travelled in open vehicles from Kharge's residence before joining the march under the slogan "Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao."

Delhi Police deployed nearly 10,000 personnel along with Central Armed Police Forces companies. The venue was divided into 14 zones, each under an Assistant Commissioner of Police. Organisers had projected attendance of up to one million, while police estimates placed the figure closer to 50,000. Barricades, drone surveillance, and traffic diversions were in place from 10 AM to 5 PM.

The protest followed a symbolic public impeachment of Kumar held the previous day. Speakers accused the Election Commission of deleting legitimate voters during the revision exercise and called for a return to paper ballots. Kharge and others linked the issue to upcoming state elections.

BJP leaders held a parallel march in West Delhi commemorating the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Party spokespersons described the Ramlila Maidan event as a drama and questioned the turnout figures. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier noted that traders in Connaught Place had asked for the rally to be postponed after Diwali to avoid business disruption.

The Special Intensive Revision has been under way in several states. Opposition parties have filed complaints alleging large-scale deletions of names from rolls. The Election Commission has maintained that the exercise aims to remove duplicate and ineligible entries. Court challenges to the process remain pending in some jurisdictions.

Ramlila Maidan has hosted major political gatherings since the 1930s, after the ground was filled from a former pond. Capacity estimates vary with seating arrangements; police noted the site can hold roughly 30,000 to 40,000 people with chairs and enclosures in place. Security measures for the Sunday event included multi-layered checks at entry points.

Leaders from Telangana, Jharkhand, and other states joined the platform. Speeches continued into the afternoon. The alliance has said it will continue pressure on the Commission ahead of further electoral cycles. No immediate response from the Election Commission to the specific demands at the rally had been issued by evening.

The turnout and security arrangements reflect the scale of mobilisation the opposition sought in the capital. Differing estimates of attendance between organisers and police remain a point of contention in coverage of the event.