The INDIA bloc has postponed its proposed 'public impeachment' of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, scheduled for Friday, due to rains in the national capital.
Rahul Gandhi confirmed the postponement at a joint press conference with INDIA bloc leaders outside Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence. "By consensus we have decided to postpone today's programme to tomorrow at the same time," he said.
The proceedings will now be held on October 31, a day before the Opposition's mega rally at Ramlila Maidan against alleged electoral irregularities and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, they said.
The event was to be held at Kharge's official residence after the Opposition failed to secure permission to organise it at venues such as the Constitution Club and Talkatora Stadium.
The INDIA bloc had planned a three-hour mock impeachment, with former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presiding over the proceedings. Kharge was to move the motion against the CEC, while Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to deliver the concluding remarks.
At least 30 speakers representing 21 political parties, besides civil society members and people affected by the SIR exercise, were expected to participate.
The move is part of the Opposition's escalating campaign against Kumar, whom it has accused of partisan conduct and mishandling the revision of electoral rolls. The parties have been demanding his resignation, alleging that the exercise has resulted in the large-scale deletion of eligible voters.
The controversy intensified after the Election Commission's SIR exercise placed 13.39 crore electors under the categories of absent, shifted, dead and duplicate (ASDD) across the country. The poll panel has maintained that the exercise was intended to remove ineligible and duplicate entries, while allowing genuine voters whose names were omitted to seek inclusion.
The Opposition had earlier moved motions in both Houses of Parliament seeking Kumar's removal. However, the notices, submitted on March 12 with the signatures of 130 Lok Sabha MPs and 63 Rajya Sabha MPs, were rejected by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan on April 6.
The Opposition's campaign received fresh impetus following reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on at least 14 occasions over decisions relating to the SIR and the management of electoral rolls. The Election Commission, however, has maintained that its decisions were unanimous.
The idea of holding a public impeachment was reportedly floated at a meeting of INDIA bloc leaders hosted by Rahul Gandhi on October 13. The proceedings were conceived as a symbolic public hearing to put the Opposition's allegations against the CEC before the people.
INDIA bloc leaders had met on Thursday to finalise the proceedings, sources said.
Meanwhile, Gandhi announced a 'Chalo Dilli' march and rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1, saying both programmes were aimed at what he alleged was the demolition of democracy by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
He alleged that the Home Minister was attempting to prevent people from reaching Delhi, claiming that party workers and ordinary citizens were being stopped from travelling to the national capital.
"There is huge anger and pain because millions are being disenfranchised," Gandhi said, inviting everyone seeking to protect the Constitution to join the march and rally.
The bloc is now preparing for its November 1 rally under the slogan 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao', with opposition leaders expected to intensify their campaign against alleged vote theft and the SIR exercise.