New Delhi: Opposition leaders from the INDIA bloc are set to march towards Rashtrapati Bhavan on the fourth day of their protests over alleged electoral irregularities, intensifying their campaign against what they describe as “vote chori”. The opposition plans to assemble at Parliament House before submitting a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has emerged as a prominent face of the demonstrations, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The proposed march is expected to begin from the Central Hall, with opposition MPs planning to proceed on foot towards Rashtrapati Bhavan. According to the reported plan, protesters may offer to court arrest if they are stopped by authorities. It remains unclear whether the President has scheduled a meeting with the opposition delegation.
Congress leaders have reportedly reached out to floor leaders of INDIA bloc parties, seeking their participation in the demonstration. Congress general secretary K. C. Venugopal has coordinated with opposition representatives, while Gandhi has also sought explanations regarding the absence of some Congress MPs from earlier protest programmes.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is reportedly away from Delhi, but several MPs from his party are expected to participate in the march.
However, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena is not expected to take part in the latest INDIA bloc protest. Thackeray, Sanjay Raut and Arvind Sawant are reportedly staying away from the planned demonstration.
The latest action follows a series of opposition protests in the national capital. On Thursday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hosted opposition MPs before they proceeded towards Rajghat for a protest programme.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several opposition leaders were detained while attempting to march towards Jantar Mantar. Opposition leaders alleged that police prevented them from exercising their right to protest, while Delhi Police disputed those allegations.
Police have also registered FIRs against Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in connection with Wednesday’s demonstration.
The INDIA bloc has vowed to continue its campaign, arguing that electoral transparency and accountability are essential to protecting democratic institutions. The Election Commission’s role in the SIR exercise remains central to the opposition’s demands, while the allegations of electoral irregularities continue to be contested.
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