Opposition Leaders March to India’s Supreme Court Over Voter Roll Deletions

Opposition parties and supporters marched through central New Delhi on 12 October 2026 to the Supreme Court, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a special intensive revision of electoral rolls. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party led the group, which included his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and leaders from other parties in the INDIA bloc. They filed a petition alleging large-scale deletions and irregularities.

Election Commission data indicate that about 130 million names have been removed since the exercise began last year. Officials say the deletions cover deceased persons, those who relocated and entries that could not be traced. Critics, including the Congress and the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party movement, argue that the process has disproportionately affected minority and marginalised communities that tend to vote against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. They want the revision halted and Kumar removed.

Police deployed thousands of officers in central Delhi. Six metro stations were closed and traffic was disrupted. Despite the presence, protesters reached the court area after gathering on Barakhamba Road. Earlier in the weekend, police detained hundreds of demonstrators, including organisers of the Cockroach movement. Most were later released. The Supreme Court chief justice had declined a direct meeting with opposition members and directed them to file a formal petition, which they did on Monday.

Gandhi described the protests as a defence of the constitution. He posted that authorities could deploy as many police as needed. The BJP has called the activists anarchists and said the Commission is removing duplicate and fraudulent entries. The Commission has stated that wrongly deleted voters can re-enrol and that internal differences of view among commissioners are normal. Protests have occurred in other cities, including Mumbai, where hundreds were detained on Sunday.

The revision has been under way for months. Media reports first highlighted internal concerns raised by two election commissioners about procedures and digital systems. The scale of deletions, larger than the population of Japan, has drawn sustained opposition attention. About 969 million people were eligible to vote in the 2024 general election. Whether the Supreme Court petition leads to a stay or further scrutiny will depend on the hearing schedule and the evidence presented on the methodology of the intensive revision.