Uncanny replica! How a Malayali SPG veteran recreated Parliament for INDIA Bloc’s mock impeachment

New Delhi: A replica of the former Lok Sabha chamber served as the backdrop for the INDIA bloc’s symbolic impeachment event targeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The set was designed and executed under the leadership of K B Baiju, a native of Kurooppada in Kottayam and a former Special Protection Group (SPG) officer who has worked alongside Rahul Gandhi for 18 years.

Baiju and his team created the parliamentary aesthetic in just two days by printing high-resolution images of the Parliament interior and pasting them onto custom plywood desks to produce a lifelike setting.

Meticulous set design

Behind Meira Kumar, who presided over the event as the “Speaker”, the team installed a printed painting mirroring the wall backdrop behind the actual Lok Sabha Speaker's chair. Large television screens were set up on both sides, identical to the layout in Parliament. Positioned in front of her were Awadhesh Prasad and Saugata Roy, “appointed” as Deputy Speakers and seated in chairs resembling those used by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

In front of the dais, 210 chairs alongside custom plywood desks were arranged across the first three rows in a parliamentary layout to seat senior leaders and MPs from 21 opposition parties. Images of the former Lok Sabha desks were printed and affixed to the plywood structures, making them appear authentic at first glance.

Conceived and built in two days

The assembly was constructed by the same crew that regularly manages set arrangements for Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and the ‘Chahtrom Ki Goonj’ initiative under Baiju's supervision.

According to Baiju, the initial plan was to recreate the former Parliament chamber, including the Well of the House, at the Ashok Hotel. When that plan fell through, the team built the plywood desks and printed covers within two days. The chairs used were the standard cushioned seats from Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's residence. For the rest of the invited guests, simple seating without desks was arranged behind the first three rows.

Around 30 speakers addressed the gathering from the front three rows. The proceedings ran strictly under Meira Kumar's control from 3.50 pm, to 7.10 pm, with time allocations for MPs enforced according to firm parliamentary discipline.