Opposition parties continue protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation over voter list revisions

NEW DELHI — Opposition parties continued their protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Wednesday, demanding his resignation and action over voter list revisions, a day after police detained several prominent leaders during a march towards the Election Commission of India headquarters.

Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has invited opposition MPs to a lunch meeting at a Janpath restaurant to formulate strategy for upcoming protests. According to sources, attending parliamentarians are expected to sign a memorandum demanding a meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner.

Wednesday’s developments follow an eight-hour sit-in demonstration on Tuesday, when INDIA bloc MPs marched from Parliament toward the poll panel’s office. Police halted the procession using barricades, prompting opposition figures including Rahul Gandhi to climb barriers and wave the tricolor.

The demonstration spilled into the All India Radio premises, where protesters staged a sit-in. Delhi Police subsequently registered a First Information Report against Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra following a complaint from AIR officials alleging unauthorized entry. Both leaders, alongside other participants, were detained by police before being released later that evening.

The ongoing agitation centers on the poll panel’s voter list revision process, known as SIR, with opposition parties alleging transparency failures, improper appeals mechanisms, and the unjustified removal of eligible voters. The alliance is demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, the reversal of the SIR procedure, and the reinstatement of removed names. Amid the protests, the Election Commission postponed a scheduled two-day visit by the CEC and senior officials to Chhattisgarh, while security was tightened around election offices and central Delhi landmarks.

Political reactions to the demonstrations remained sharply divided. Congress MP Imran Masood defended the opposition’s actions, stating that leaders would fight the case and not back down due to an FIR. Congress leader Udit Raj asserted that the protests would evolve into a broader mass movement with actions planned across multiple locations.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party dismissed the demonstrations as political theater. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju criticized the opposition and urged them to respect the electoral mandate. Meanwhile, regional parties have adjusted their participation; the Biju Janata Dal joined Tuesday’s march despite not being a formal member of the INDIA bloc, and the Aam Aadmi Party, which did not participate in the initial march, joined subsequent demonstrations alongside the Congress and Left parties at the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer’s office.