India bloc defers virtual opposition meeting amid ongoing election disputes

NEW DELHI — The I.N.D.I.A. bloc has deferred a virtual meeting of opposition leaders that was scheduled to take place on Thursday evening.

The online gathering, which was to be chaired by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, aimed to finalize protest strategies regarding alleged vote theft and formulate an action plan against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. No new date has been announced for the meeting yet.

The discussions were expected to review preparations for the opposition bloc’s upcoming rally in Delhi, which is planned for November 1.

The postponement comes amid heightened political friction following demonstrations in the capital last week over alleged vote irregularities. On October 12, opposition leaders and civil society members participated in a ‘March for Democracy’ past a heavily barricaded route and filed a joint petition challenging the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. During the march, opposition figures and civil society participants alleged poll irregularities and government involvement in the functioning of the Election Commission.

The political tensions have drawn sharp counter-criticism from political opponents. Sirsa accused Rahul Gandhi of spreading anarchy ahead of the opposition rally, drawing a comparison to the 1984 riots.

Following a preceding meeting on October 13—where Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hosted bloc leaders for tea at his residence—the opposition alliance vowed to continue its resistance and take the fight over alleged vote theft to its logical conclusion. The ongoing dispute over the electoral rolls has also reached the Supreme Court of India. Meanwhile, political circles have noted separate speculation regarding the possible convening of Parliament by the government to pass a constitutional amendment bill on delimitation for the early implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act.