Opposition Alliance Stages Delhi Protest to Demand Removal of Chief Election Commissioner

NEW DELHI — The Congress-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc staged its largest mobilisation in recent years in central Delhi, utilising open-top overlanders to project Opposition unity and renew demands for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

The demonstration marked a escalation in ongoing protests against alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the electoral roll special intensive revision (SIR). The opposition alliance is specifically demanding accountability over the removal of 130 million names from electoral rolls under categories including absent, shifted, or dead voters.

Three open-top overlanders—vehicles typically used in Rajasthan for jungle safaris—served as a central symbol of solidarity for the march and subsequent rally at Ramlila Maidan, one of the capital’s three newly designated protest sites. One vehicle joined the procession at Minto Road, while the other two departed from the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, where top alliance leaders had gathered.

The procession brought together prominent figures from across the opposition, including Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress leaders Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, CPI(M) leader M A Baby, CPI general secretary D Raja, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti.

The march proceeded from the edge of Connaught Place through central Delhi for over an hour before culminating in a rally where nine leaders addressed the gathering. During the event, opposition leaders declared that CEC Gyanesh Kumar would face imprisonment for treason in the future. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi targeted the central government during the rally, stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah would not be permitted to evade the law, and described the removal of the CEC as a vital first step to restore the nation.

The current wave of protests was triggered by an investigation published by The Indian Express, which revealed that Election Commissioners SS Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded written dissents and objections at least 14 times between November 2025 and August 2026, and had communicated their concerns to the cabinet secretary. According to the report, election officials allegedly found their access to ECI software restricted by the central IT team. In response, the ECI maintained that differing views are a normal part of deliberations and asserted that all digital platforms operate under strict data security protocols.

The demonstrations have faced heavy security restrictions over the past month, with authorities implementing metro closures, internet shutdowns, and prohibitory orders. In October, approximately 40,000 security personnel were deployed across Delhi, leading to confrontations that involved the dragging, manhandling, and detention of numerous agitators.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dismissed the opposition’s campaign, stating that the demands for the removal of the CEC and the scrapping of the SIR are attempts to destabilise constitutional bodies and deflect attention from the political failures of opposition parties.