Opposition Leaders March in Delhi Demanding Election Commissioner's Resignation Over Voter Roll Revisions

Thousands of people arrived at Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi on Sunday, 1 November 2026, for a rally organised by the opposition INDIA bloc. The gathering demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and changes to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Leaders from 21 parties in the alliance, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress figures, took part. The programme began with a march from the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction at noon, moving via Ajmeri Gate to the grounds. Delhi Police deployed around 10,000 personnel and set up barricades on roads leading to the venue. Officers estimated capacity at 45,000 to 50,000 people, while organisers projected far higher numbers.

The protest centres on the Special Intensive Revision, known as SIR. The Election Commission says the exercise updates voter lists by removing names of people who have died, moved or appear as duplicates. Opposition parties claim the process has deleted roughly 130 million names from draft rolls across India and that many of those removed are living, eligible voters. They argue the deletions favour the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and undermine free elections. Rahul Gandhi has described the revisions as theft of votes and has called on students, farmers, workers and others to join the demonstration.

On Saturday, opposition leaders held a symbolic public impeachment of Kumar at Kharge’s residence. Meira Kumar, a former Speaker of the Lok Sabha, led the event. Speakers accused the Commission of losing independence and failing to protect the integrity of the rolls. Delhi Police gave permission for Sunday’s rally under conditions that included an end time of 5 pm and installation of CCTV cameras. No overnight stays were allowed at the grounds.

Security arrangements included separate gates for different groups of attendees and reserves of additional companies ready if crowds grew. A separate BJP march was planned in West Delhi on the same day. Participants began reaching the maidan from early morning. Student groups such as the Students’ Federation of India started marches from other parts of the city to join the main gathering.

The Election Commission has rejected the charges of deliberate disenfranchisement. It maintains that SIR is a routine clean-up required by law and that objections can be filed during the revision window. No official response from Kumar or the Commission appeared on the day of the rally. The event follows months of criticism from opposition parties after draft lists showed large numbers of deletions in several states.

Ramlila Maidan has hosted major political gatherings in the past. Police described Sunday’s assembly as the first large opposition demonstration at a notified protest site in the capital in a month. The outcome of the day will depend on the number of people who actually reach the grounds and on whether speakers outline specific next steps, such as further legal challenges or continued street mobilisation.

The rally highlights a continuing dispute over how India maintains its voter lists ahead of future elections. Both the scale of claimed deletions and the Commission’s explanation of them remain subjects of public argument. The presence of senior leaders from multiple parties shows the opposition has chosen this issue as a central point of mobilisation in the capital.