10 lakh at Delhi rally? Congress steps up campaign to remove CEC Gyanesh Kumar

New Delhi: The Congress is stepping up its nationwide ‘Vote Bachao Desh Bachao’ campaign ahead of the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally in Delhi, where opposition parties plan to demand the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the electoral process.

Haryana Congress in-charge Sanjay Dutt and state unit president Rao Narendra Singh said on Saturday that the party would make the demand a central issue at the rally. According to the leaders, electoral roll integrity, transparency in elections and the protection of eligible citizens’ voting rights are fundamental to democracy.

The Congress has set a target of at least 10 lakh participants for the gathering at Ramlila Maidan. The party describes the event as the culmination of its ‘Delhi Chalo’ march against alleged electoral irregularities and the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The allegations remain contested, and the Congress’s demand for the CEC’s removal is a political position rather than an established finding of wrongdoing.

INDIA bloc plans ‘public impeachment’ of CEC

Ahead of the November 1 rally, INDIA bloc leaders plan to hold what they have described as a ‘public impeachment’ of Gyanesh Kumar on October 30.

The event, planned at Hotel Ashok in New Delhi, is expected to bring together opposition MPs and senior leaders for a mock parliamentary proceeding. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the bloc would announce a public verdict demanding the CEC’s removal.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has reached out to INDIA bloc parties to encourage their participation in both events.

The opposition has linked its campaign to allegations of voter deletions and discrepancies in electoral rolls during the SIR process. It argues that these concerns require accountability and safeguards to protect eligible voters.

The November 1 rally is intended to demonstrate opposition unity and increase pressure on the government and the Election Commission to address these concerns.

Congress expands campaign across Haryana

The Congress has intensified organisational preparations across Haryana, directing party workers to mobilise supporters at district, block, village and polling booth levels.

Sanjay Dutt and Rao Narendra Singh said workers had been instructed to document alleged electoral roll discrepancies, raise awareness about voter rights and encourage participation in the Delhi rally.

KC Venugopal chaired a meeting with Haryana Congress leaders and office-bearers at Indira Bhavan in New Delhi on Friday to review preparations.

The party has also held meetings with its Delhi and Uttar Pradesh units as it seeks participation from across the country. Congress leaders have maintained that the rally will proceed despite suggestions that the festival season could affect attendance.

Amit Shah reviews Delhi Police preparedness

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed Delhi Police’s preparedness for handling large gatherings and maintaining law and order at a meeting at the police headquarters on Saturday.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and senior police officers attended the meeting, which lasted more than three hours, according to reports by the Press Trust of India.

Police sources said the review covered crowd management, intelligence gathering, coordination among police units and measures to prevent protests from escalating into violence or damage to public property.

The meeting also examined the police response to demonstrations held in Delhi over recent months, including protests connected to the NEET controversy and demands for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

The Delhi Police has faced scrutiny over allegations of excessive force during earlier demonstrations. The review comes as the capital prepares for another major opposition mobilisation.

Officials also discussed traffic congestion, the impact of protests on businesses, women’s safety, drug trafficking, criminal networks and the use of artificial intelligence in traffic management.

Why the SIR controversy matters

The Special Intensive Revision is an exercise to review and update electoral rolls. Such revisions can affect whether eligible citizens are included on voter lists and whether ineligible or duplicate entries are removed.

The Congress and other opposition parties have raised concerns about alleged deletions of eligible voters and discrepancies in the process. They argue that the Election Commission must ensure transparency and provide adequate safeguards for voters.

The Election Commission’s constitutional role includes supervising, directing and controlling elections. The controversy has therefore developed into a broader political dispute over institutional accountability, electoral transparency and public confidence in the voting process.

The allegations against the CEC should be distinguished from proven findings. The demand for his removal is being advanced by opposition parties, and the claims of irregularities require assessment through relevant evidence and official responses.

The October 30 opposition event and the November 1 rally are expected to be key moments in the INDIA bloc’s campaign against alleged ‘vote chori’.

The scale of participation, the coordination among opposition parties and the handling of the gatherings by Delhi Police will be closely watched. The events may also intensify political debate over electoral roll revisions and the Election Commission’s accountability.

The central question is whether the opposition’s mobilisation will lead to further institutional or legal action concerning the allegations, and how the Election Commission and the government respond to the demands.