NEW DELHI: Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on Sunday for a

NEW DELHI — Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on Sunday for a mega opposition rally demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The protest, organised by the opposition INDIA bloc and led by Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, targeted a contentious voter-list revision exercise that removed 130 million names. Opposition parties allege that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by purging eligible voters, accusing both the Chief Election Commissioner and the ruling party of vote theft.

The demonstration follows a symbolic impeachment of Kumar staged by INDIA bloc leaders on Saturday at the residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Under Indian law, the chief election commissioner can only be removed through a formal parliamentary process.

The INDIA bloc, an alliance of opposition parties formed in 2023 to challenge the governing BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, has escalated its confrontation with election authorities over the administrative overhaul. According to the Election Commission of India, the voter-list revision exercise is aimed at updating the registry by purging the names of individuals who have died or relocated.

Both the BJP and the Election Commission have denied allegations regarding the voter revision exercise.

The controversy surrounding the poll body’s internal functioning has also drawn scrutiny outside the political arena. According to a report published by The Indian Express in September, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar made key decisions without the agreement of the two other election commissioners, who raised objections.