An online meeting of the INDIA bloc will be held on Thursday evening to chalk out a roadmap for protests over alleged electoral irregularities, with the Opposition pressing for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and planning its next steps in the “vote chori” campaign, PTI reported citing sources.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will chair the meeting, which will also review preparations for the INDIA bloc’s rally in Delhi on November 1, they said.
The Opposition’s campaign has intensified amid allegations of irregularities in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The INDIA bloc has accused the poll body of facilitating electoral manipulation and demanded Kumar’s resignation, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleging that the CEC was not the only person responsible for the alleged wrongdoing.
The Opposition’s demand for Kumar’s resignation gathered momentum following reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over the preceding 10 months, mostly concerning decisions and orders related to the SIR exercise. The Election Commission has maintained that differences of opinion during institutional deliberations are normal.
On October 12, Rahul Gandhi urged Kumar to resign and “turn approver”, alleging that larger forces were behind the alleged electoral wrongdoing. Gandhi also claimed that 200 government officers were in touch with the Opposition and passing on information.
“On October 12, INDIA bloc leaders and activiststook part in a ‘March for Democracy’ in Delhi amid their ‘vote chori’ campaign. Separately, Rahul Gandhi, Kharge and nine other Opposition leaders filed a joint petition in the Supreme Court challenging the SIR of electoral rolls and alleging large-scale voter deletions and irregularities.”
The following day, Gandhi hosted INDIA bloc leaders for tea at his residence. After the meeting, the Opposition vowed to continue its campaign and take the fight against alleged electoral malpractice to its “logical conclusion”.
The Thursday meeting is expected to discuss the next phase of the campaign ahead of the November 1 rally.
(With inputs from PTI)