INDIA bloc leaders call for political, legal and ground fight over EC row

• INDIA bloc leaders call for a coordinated political and legal campaign over SIR, electoral rolls, EVMs and the Election Commission

• The proposed impeachment of CEC Gyanesh Kumar is not discussed; leaders instead back a possible Supreme Court challenge to the 2023 law governing election commissioners

• The bloc plans ground mobilisation and civil-society outreach, including “Save Democracy” marches from 2–8 October and 6 October march to the Election Commission

Leaders of the INDIA bloc on Wednesday called for a coordinated political and legal campaign against the Election Commission over the revision of electoral rolls, while agreeing to take the issue to the ground through protests and wider outreach to civil society.

The meeting in New Delhi focused on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleged irregularities in elections, the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and concerns over the functioning of the Election Commission.

The leaders also discussed a joint legal challenge in the Supreme Court to the 2023 law governing the appointment and service conditions of the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners.

Independent MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal argued that the law gives the CEC legal protection from certain proceedings and proposed that Opposition parties jointly challenge its provisions.

The proposed impeachment of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, which had been discussed ahead of the meeting, was not formally taken up during the deliberations, according to opposition sources. The focus instead was on coordinating political action, legal proceedings and mobilisation on the ground.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stressed the need for Opposition parties to act collectively, telling the meeting that they were all affected by the issues being raised and should pursue the campaign together.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also spoke about his own electoral experience. He alleged that around 1.9 lakh voters had been removed from the electoral roll in his Gulbarga constituency before the 2019 Lok Sabha election, in which he suffered his first defeat after several decades in electoral politics. The allegation could not be independently verified.

TMC chief Mamata Banerjee raised concerns over the Election Commission's handling of voter registration and the SIR exercise, while referring to developments in West Bengal. She also called for opposition parties outside the INDIA bloc to be brought into a broader campaign on electoral issues and said she had spoken to BJD leader Naveen Patnaik about the matter.

Banerjee also criticised CEC Gyanesh Kumar during the meeting, referring to him as "Vanish Kumar", according to opposition sources.

The need to expand the campaign beyond political parties was repeatedly emphasised. CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby called for civil society groups to be involved, while other leaders stressed the importance of reaching voters and young people.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav spoke about the Bihar election and alleged that despite receiving a strong response during campaigning, he and Rahul Gandhi had been "looted". He drew a parallel with the TMC's concerns in West Bengal.

CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya called for greater participation by young people in the political and electoral process and raised a proposal to lower the voting age from 18 to 16.

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah warned that continued doubts about the electoral process could undermine public confidence in elections. He referred to concerns in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere about the credibility of the electoral system.

The use of EVMs was another major issue at the meeting. Several leaders argued in favour of returning to paper ballots, with Kharge later saying at a joint press conference that the parties had agreed on the demand. The bloc also finalised a broader programme of protests, including "Save Democracy" marches from 2 to 8 October and a planned march by Opposition MPs to the Election Commission on 6 October.

Uddhav Thackeray, who joined the meeting virtually, criticised the Election Commission's role in elections and bypolls and alleged that the poll panel was being used to weaken opposition parties. His remarks were part of the wider opposition criticism of the Election Commission and its handling of electoral processes.

Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren also attended the meeting online and expressed support for the opposition's campaign on the issue.

The INDIA bloc's latest strategy therefore combines street mobilisation, outreach to civil society and parties outside the alliance, and a possible legal challenge to the 2023 law governing the Election Commission. The bloc has also announced further protests and a march to the poll panel as it seeks to build a broader campaign around electoral rolls, SIR and the conduct of elections.

With PTI inputs