INDIA BLOC TAKES ELECTION FIGHT TO JANTAR MANTAR, VOWS TO KEEP PRESSURE ON CEC

October 7, 2026

Opposition MPs of the INDIA bloc on Wednesday shifted their protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to Jantar Mantar, intensifying their campaign over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and demanding his resignation.

The protest followed an eight-hour sit-in by opposition lawmakers a day earlier after their attempted march towards the Election Commission headquarters was stopped by police. INDIA bloc leaders said they would continue raising the issue and press for answers from the Election Commission.

Rahul Gandhi said around 300 opposition MPs had sought to meet the Election Commissioners but were not allowed to hold their protest near the poll panel's office. He maintained that the opposition would now use the designated protest site at Jantar Mantar to continue its campaign.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and leaders from several INDIA bloc parties joined the mobilisation, stressing that the opposition remained united. Leaders including Trinamool Congress's Derek O'Brien and RJD's Manoj Jha said the campaign would continue despite cases and police action against protesters.

The Election Commission, meanwhile, has disputed the opposition's account of attempts to secure a meeting, saying no formal appointment had been sought before the protest. The confrontation has nevertheless deepened the political dispute surrounding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and the functioning of the poll panel.