India’s opposition alliance stages wave of mass protests under “Let’s Go to Delhi” slogan, calls for election chief’s resignation

【New Delhi, India—Correspondent Pragya Awasthi】The INDIA bloc, an Indian opposition alliance, staged a large-scale street protest in the capital, New Delhi, on the 1st and called for the chief election commissioner to resign. The opposition pressured the government and election authorities, alleging that election-related unfair practices had occurred, including the unjust deletion of voters’ names during the revision of electoral rolls.
The protest was held under the slogan “Chalo Dilli” (“Let’s Go to Delhi”). Supporters and members of several opposition parties gathered at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi, and some participants marched from Minto Road via the Connaught Place intersection to the rally site.
The protest drew prominent opposition figures, including Sonia Gandhi, former president of the Indian National Congress (INC); Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha; Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav; former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee; CPI(M) General Secretary M. A. Baby; and Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary D. Raja. They gathered at the residence of INC president Mallikarjun Kharge, then rode an open-top bus to Minto Road and marched to Ramlila Maidan. At the rally, participants, including youth and student organizations, held signs opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and chanted slogans. The opposition alliance made the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar a key demand. In particular, it criticized the deletion of many voters’ names from the electoral rolls during the SIR as “vote theft.” The opposition alleges that the right to vote is being violated.
Protesters also expressed their opposition in distinctive ways. Signs displaying long lists of voters whose names had been deleted and symbolic props depicting severed fingers appeared at the rally, while members of tribal communities who reportedly came from across the country sang and danced in traditional attire. One participant from a tribal community said, “We, too, are important citizens of this country, and we preserve our traditions and culture wherever we are,” adding, “If our right to vote disappears, tribal communities could even have their land taken away.”
A participant also voiced concern that industry could take tribal people’s land. The protest followed a so-called “people’s impeachment” event targeting Chief Election Commissioner Kumar, held at Kharge’s residence the previous day, on the 31st of last month. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar chaired the event, while Kharge submitted a resolution containing the opposition’s allegations and Rahul Gandhi delivered the closing remarks. The resolution was adopted with the approval of those present.
With large crowds expected, New Delhi authorities put extensive safety measures in place. The INDIA bloc anticipated up to 1 million participants, while police expected around 50,000 people to gather. At least 4,000 personnel, including police and members of the Central Armed Police Forces, were deployed along the march route and at the rally site. The site was divided into 14 zones for management, and surveillance was conducted using at least 200 CCTV cameras, drones, and body-worn cameras used by police officers. The venue featured a main stage covered by a large tricolor tent and a separate stage for state-level representatives of each opposition party. Metal barricades were also installed to control the movement of participants.
As controversy over electoral-roll revisions has become a major issue in Indian politics and prompted a large opposition alliance to take to the streets, tensions between election authorities and the opposition are expected to intensify further. 

[email protected] Correspondent Pragya Awasthi Reporter