INDIA bloc stages Ramlila Maidan rally demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation

Leaders of the INDIA bloc gathered at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on 1 November 2026 for a rally that demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The protest centred on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which the opposition claims has removed large numbers of voters improperly.

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, told the crowd that legal action would be taken against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over alleged vote theft. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge warned that Kumar would face consequences and described the revision process as an attack on democratic rights. Other speakers included Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav and several state chief ministers and party presidents.

The demonstration began with a march from the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction toward Ramlila Maidan. Participants carried banners reading Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao. Delhi Police imposed traffic restrictions in central areas from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and maintained a heavy presence along the route. The rally received permission to proceed under conditions that it conclude by early evening.

Opposition parties have alleged that the Special Intensive Revision exercise led to the deletion of more than 13 crore names from electoral rolls across states. They describe the process as lacking transparency and disproportionately affecting certain communities. The Election Commission has defended the revision as a routine cleaning of rolls to remove duplicates, deceased voters and ineligible entries. BJP leaders called the rally a political drama timed for media attention and said the opposition was attempting to question a constitutional body without evidence.

Crowd estimates varied sharply. Organisers claimed more than a million people attended. BJP spokespersons said large sections of the ground remained empty. Independent photographs showed a substantial gathering under a large tricolour canopy on the main stage, with additional stages for state units. Student and civil society groups, including the Cockroach Janta Party, joined the mobilisation.

The event occurred on the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh violence, a detail noted by BJP leaders who organised a separate padayatra in Haryana under the slogan Loktantra Bachao. The INDIA bloc has framed the Ramlila Maidan gathering as the start of a sustained campaign against what it calls electoral manipulation ahead of future state and national polls.

No formal charges have been filed against the Chief Election Commissioner. The opposition has spoken of a symbolic public impeachment and of pursuing legal avenues. The Election Commission has not issued a detailed public rebuttal of the specific deletion figures cited by the INDIA bloc. The coming weeks will show whether the rally produces concrete parliamentary or judicial follow-up or remains a one-day mobilisation.

Delhi traders had earlier requested that the Congress postpone the rally until after Diwali, citing business losses from road closures. The party proceeded as scheduled. The political temperature in the capital rose further as both sides traded accusations of undermining democratic institutions.