New Delhi, October 9: Members of Parliament from the opposition INDIA bloc will meet at Samvidhan Sadan at 3 pm on Friday to discuss their ongoing protest against alleged electoral irregularities and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, sources said.
According to sources, the opposition leaders may launch another round of protests against what they describe as “vote chori”. The leaders have also sought an appointment with President Droupadi Murmu to raise their concerns over the issue.
Sources said that if the President does not grant them an appointment, the opposition bloc is considering all available options for intensifying its agitation. Possible protest venues include Seva Teerth, Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Vice-President’s residence, and the residences of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The proposed meeting comes amid continuing demonstrations by opposition parties demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the electoral roll revision process.
Congress general secretary (organisation) K. C. Venugopal said on Thursday that the INDIA bloc had requested a meeting with President Murmu and was awaiting a response from Rashtrapati Bhavan.
He said the initial request was sent on October 2. After the President’s office sought the names of the leaders who would attend, the opposition submitted another request on October 5, seeking an appointment on October 7, 8 or 9.
Venugopal said the opposition would wait for a response until Friday.
The INDIA bloc’s latest move follows three consecutive days of protests across the national capital. On Thursday, opposition leaders staged a sit-in at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Rajghat, accusing the government and the Chief Election Commissioner of undermining democratic processes through alleged electoral manipulation.
The demonstrations followed two days of protests during which several opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, were detained by police.
The opposition parties have pledged to continue their agitation until the Chief Election Commissioner resigns. Last week, the INDIA bloc also finalised a joint action plan that included rallies and “Save Democracy” marches.
The controversy has intensified following a report by The Indian Express alleging that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on record at least 14 times over the previous 10 months, primarily concerning decisions and orders related to the SIR exercise.
Responding to the reports, the Election Commission maintained that differing opinions among commissioners are a normal part of institutional deliberations. It also asserted that its orders carry full legal authority and follow established statutory procedures.
Friday’s meeting is expected to determine the opposition bloc’s next course of action as its confrontation with the Election Commission and the Centre continues.
