Opposition Showdown With Election Commission: INDIA Bloc MPs March, Demand CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s Resignation

New Delhi: The standoff between the Opposition and the Election Commission intensified on Tuesday as INDIA bloc MPs, led by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, marched from the Parliament complex towards the Election Commission headquarters demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The march, however, was halted by police on Parliament Street, prompting the protesting MPs to sit on the road and turn the blockade into a sit-in demonstration.

The Opposition MPs had set out from the Makar Dwar of Parliament towards Nirvachan Sadan, the Election Commission headquarters. They were stopped near the NITI Aayog office, situated between NITI Aayog and Akashvani Bhavan on the route to the poll panel’s headquarters. Once stopped, the MPs raised slogans against the CEC and the government. Some protesters carried cut-outs depicting Gyanesh Kumar in an RSS uniform, while slogans such as “BJP hai CEC hai”, “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod” and “Democracy Bikau Nahi Hai” echoed at the protest site.

Rahul Gandhi sharpened the attack through a post on X, saying, “Gyanesh, it’s done, brother. It’s time to resign.” The march brought together several prominent INDIA bloc leaders, including Trinamool Congress leaders Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O’Brien, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and CPI(M) leader John Brittas.

The protest was preceded by a major security build-up in and around Parliament and the Election Commission headquarters. Security personnel had been positioned in the area well before the MPs arrived, while barricades were erected along the route. Opposition MPs questioned the scale of the deployment, arguing that they were seeking to conduct a peaceful march as elected representatives and citizens.

The immediate flashpoint was the controversy surrounding Form 6 and the Election Commission’s handling of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have raised objections to an additional declaration associated with Form 6, the statutory application used for voter enrolment, and have cited recent Supreme Court observations to challenge the Election Commission’s position.

Congress MP Imran Masood accused the CEC of damaging public confidence in the poll body. “The institution that Gyanesh Kumar heads is an institution the entire country trusts. It is an institution the entire country takes pride in. Its impartiality was never questioned. One person has broken that trust,” Masood told PTI. He went on to allege that “an entire nexus is working together” and said the Opposition would question Kumar while BJP chief ministers would also have to provide answers.

CPI MP P. Sandosh Kumar said Monday’s Supreme Court observations had strengthened the Opposition’s objections concerning the additional declaration attached to Form 6 during the SIR exercise. Referring to an Election Commission statement issued on September 26, he alleged that the poll panel had claimed that the entire process involving Form 6 had received the Supreme Court’s approval.

“That is completely misleading,” he said, alleging that the Supreme Court’s observations had established that the Commission’s claim was not accurate. Describing Kumar as a “fraudulent Election Commissioner”, the CPI leader said Opposition parties had been campaigning against the rules since 2025 and would intensify their agitation.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also questioned the security arrangements made to stop the march. “We are MPs. We are members of Parliament. We are also citizens of this country. What is the need to deploy such a huge force to stop us? We will walk. We do not have weapons,” Raut said. He claimed that Border Security Force and CISF personnel had been deployed and alleged that security had also been increased outside the residences of ministers.

Raut accused the CEC of misleading the public over the Supreme Court’s position on Form 6 and argued that Kumar had “no moral right” to continue in office. His remarks came against the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s clarification on Monday that it had not approved any altered version of Form 6.

The Supreme Court said it would examine the Election Commission’s records to determine whether changes had actually been made to the form and, if so, who authorised them. The observations were made while hearing a petition challenging alleged unilateral decisions by Kumar.

The controversy stems from the Election Commission’s September 26 statement, in which it said the declaration attached to Form 6 for the SIR exercise had been upheld by the Supreme Court. The Commission also maintained that the Form 6 prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 would continue to be used even outside the SIR period.

Notably, The Opposition’s march is part of a broader campaign against the Election Commission over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise and reports of differences within the three-member poll panel. The Election Commission has rejected suggestions of internal division and maintained that decisions relating to the SIR were taken unanimously.

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Purna Singh

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Purna Singh Yadav is an experienced journalist specializing in politics and general reporting. With over 3 years of writing expertise in political as well as general reporting. Purna has completed her post-graduation from Amity University with specialization in public relations and advertising. When she is not immersed in writing, she can be found spending time watching movies. With three years of experience as a frontline journalist, she has honed her craft in various genres, including entertainment, crime, and education. Purna's diverse family history and embrace of cultures as well as good communication skills have enriched her writing with unique perspectives.

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