Opposition Leader Mallikarjun Kharge Weighs Traders Appeal Over Planned Delhi Rally

NEW DELHI — Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge renewed his criticism of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, urging citizens to participate in a scheduled November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan while facing calls from trading associations to defer the event.

The planned demonstration forms part of a broader campaign by the INDIA alliance targeting the Election Commission over alleged electoral roll irregularities. Alongside the rally, the opposition coalition has pressed three core demands: the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar alongside the repeal of the 2023 law governing his appointment, an immediate halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists with the restoration of improperly deleted names, and a return to paper ballots in all elections.

In a public statement posted on social media, Mr. Kharge alleged that the Election Commission declined to provide information regarding the software utilized in the SIR under the Right to Information Act, citing trade secrets. He further asserted that details concerning 16.18 lakh Form-6 applications—used for registering new voters—across Uttar Pradesh had not been made public, and pointed to alleged irregularities involving 10,470 voters in records from Pilibhit. Following these disclosures, an administrative investigation into Forms 6, 7, and 8 was subsequently ordered across Uttar Pradesh.

The upcoming mobilization has encountered pushback from the commercial sector. The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) appealed directly to Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi to postpone the demonstration until after November 10, citing potential disruptions to market access and business activity during the peak Diwali shopping season.

Mr. Kharge acknowledged the traders’ appeal, stating that the INDIA bloc would deliberate on the request before finalizing a decision on whether to proceed with the November 1 schedule.