The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc will stage a "public impeachment" of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday, October 31, 2026, after rain in the capital forced organisers to call off the event a day earlier, according to The Hindu. The proceedings are part of the opposition alliance's wider campaign against the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which it describes as "vote chori," or vote theft.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the bloc will follow the Saturday event with a Chalo Dilli march on November 1, setting out from the Minto Road–Connaught Place junction in central Delhi and ending at Ramlila Maidan. A rally at the maidan will press the demand for the CEC's resignation, The Hindu reports.
Why it matters
The two-day programme marks an escalation in a confrontation between the opposition and the Election Commission over the revision of voter rolls. The alliance is seeking to convert a procedural dispute into a national campaign, while the commission has not commented in the reporting under review.
The event also carries a security and logistics dimension for the capital. Delhi Police have permitted the Ramlila Maidan gathering to run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on November 1, and the Delhi Traffic Police have announced restrictions across central Delhi for the same window.
Home Minister accused of blocking participants
Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Home Minister was attempting to stop people from travelling to Delhi for the November 1 rally. The BJP rejected the charge, calling it a lie, according to The Hindu.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas made a similar claim, saying authorities were trying to keep participants from reaching the capital, and predicted that 10 lakh people would arrive in Delhi for the event. The figure could not be independently verified.
Organisers expect crowds to begin arriving in the city from the night of October 31. The rally itself is scheduled to start at about 11 a.m. on November 1.
Traffic diversions announced for November 1
The Delhi Traffic Police said diversions will be put in place at several key junctions in central Delhi depending on traffic conditions. These include the Netaji Subhash Marg T-point, Rajghat, Delhi Gate, ITO A-point, the Ajmeri Gate red light, Ranjeet Singh Flyover, Jhandewalan roundabout, Turkman Gate and Mirdard Chowk.
Commuters may face congestion on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg between ITO and Delhi Gate, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg between Rajghat and Ajmeri Gate, Aruna Asaf Ali Road, Minto Road, Desh Bandhu Gupta Road and Barakhamba Road, as well as around Kamla Market and Hamdard Chowk.
Opposition leaders line up behind the rally
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said he would take part in the November 1 gathering. Speaking at a press conference, he also remarked sarcastically that voter ID cards should carry better-quality photographs, saying the images in electoral rolls are often too unclear to identify a person.
CPI General Secretary D Raja described the Ramlila Maidan event as part of a countrywide protest against the Election Commission and said it would be "huge." He argued that the commission must act as an impartial and neutral body to safeguard free and fair elections and the right to vote, and called for the SIR to be withdrawn.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), founded by Abhijeet Dipke, has extended its support to the rally. The outfit said it backs organisations working for free and fair elections and repeated its demand that Gyanesh Kumar step down.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge declined to say whether CJP leaders would attend the November 1 rally. PTI reported on Thursday, October 28, that Kharge had answered in the negative, but his office later clarified that he had chosen not to comment on the question.
Preparations under way in Delhi and Haryana
Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav has set up 20 committees to handle arrangements for the rally, with duties covering accommodation, venue management, sanitation and social media, according to an official statement.
In neighbouring Haryana, the state Congress held meetings in Karnal, Panipat and Sonipat on Friday to work out how to maximise participation from the state. The party's Haryana in-charge, Sanjay Dutt, and state unit president Rao Narendra Singh joined senior leaders, district office-bearers and workers at the sessions, which reviewed preparations for the "Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao" rally.
The Deccan Herald reports that the INDIA bloc may again seek a meeting with the President to present what it calls proof of "vote chori."
What to watch: whether the Saturday "public impeachment" proceeds as scheduled, how large the Ramlila Maidan turnout proves to be, and whether the alliance secures another meeting with the President over its allegations.
