INDIA Bloc Rally at Ramlila Maidan: Opposition Demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s Resignation Over SIR Voter Deletions; What Happens Next
INDIA bloc leaders rallied at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on 1 November demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over SIR voter deletions. What was said and what comes next.
Photo: Hemant banswal / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
New Delhi, 1st November 2026: Leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc marched from the Minto Road and Connaught Place junction to Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, 1 November, in a “Chalo Dilli” protest against the Election Commission. Their central demand: the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, whom they blame for large-scale deletion of names during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav were among the leaders expected at the head of the march, which travelled in open buses. Supporters had been arriving in Delhi since Saturday, and many came in from other states.
What the opposition is alleging
The rally followed a symbolic “public impeachment” of the CEC held on Saturday at Kharge’s residence and chaired by former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar. According to reports, the resolution accused the CEC of deleting 13.3 crore votes, manipulating rolls, centralising control of electoral rolls and keeping the other Election Commissioners out of decisions. It listed six charges in all.
Rahul Gandhi called the revision exercise a “political weapon” and said, as reported, that “you cannot delete 13.3 crore votes and argue that the 2024 elections were legal.” Kharge said the right to vote was “in grave danger” and demanded that the 2023 law giving the CEC legal protection be scrapped. Congress general secretary K C Venugopal described the protest as a “stern warning” to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
These are the opposition’s claims. The Election Commission had not issued a response to the rally at the time of writing. The Commission has earlier defended the SIR as a clean-up of rolls to remove dead, shifted and duplicate entries.
The BJP’s response
The BJP called the mock impeachment a “drama” and accused the opposition of undermining constitutional institutions. On the same day, BJP president Nitin Nabin led a “Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao” march in Rohtak, Haryana. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri criticised the choice of 1 November for the rally, as it is the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Security and traffic in Delhi
Delhi Police deployed close to 10,000 police and paramilitary personnel across central and New Delhi, with more than 4,000 around Ramlila Maidan and the march route. Traffic was restricted around Connaught Place, Jantar Mantar, Bhagwan Das Road, the Supreme Court and the Election Commission’s office between 10 am and 5 pm. Police planned for about 50,000 people, the ground’s capacity, while opposition parties claimed a far bigger turnout. Neither figure could be independently verified.
Can a Chief Election Commissioner actually be removed?
The opposition’s demand is political, but the legal bar is high. Under Article 324(5) of the Constitution, the CEC can be removed only in the same manner and on the same grounds as a Supreme Court judge. That means a motion passed in both Houses of Parliament by a majority of the total membership and two-thirds of members present and voting, on grounds of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. A “public impeachment” has no legal effect. The other Election Commissioners can be removed only on the CEC’s recommendation.
With the ruling NDA holding a majority in the Lok Sabha, such a motion has no realistic path at present. The rally is better read as an attempt to build public pressure ahead of the next round of state elections.
Why this matters in Maharashtra
The issue is not distant for Pune. Maharashtra is in the middle of its own SIR, and the draft roll left out a large number of names in Pune district. The claims and objections deadline in the state has been extended to 13 November, with the final roll due on 30 November. Voters should check their entry now rather than wait. Our report on Pune’s draft voter list explains how to check and which form to file.
For background on recent elections in the state, read our explainer on how graduates’ and teachers’ constituency elections work.
Frequently asked questions
Why did the INDIA bloc hold a rally at Ramlila Maidan?
To demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities and mass deletion of voters during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Who took part in the INDIA bloc rally on 1 November 2026?
Leaders of the INDIA bloc parties, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Akhilesh Yadav, along with party workers from several states.
Can the Chief Election Commissioner be impeached?
The CEC can be removed only like a Supreme Court judge, through a motion passed by a special majority in both Houses of Parliament on grounds of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. A symbolic public impeachment has no legal effect.
What is the SIR of electoral rolls?
The Special Intensive Revision is a house-to-house verification of voter lists by the Election Commission to add eligible voters and remove dead, shifted or duplicate entries.
