Opposition parties in the INDIA bloc are likely to meet in New Delhi on September 30 to coordinate a joint response to their concerns over the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, according to sources cited by news agencies.
The proposed meeting could be held at the Constitution Club of India, bringing together senior alliance leaders amid rising political heat over the poll panel. Sources said the agenda would focus on the Election Commission and related issues, with consultations still underway on the final list of participants. A joint press conference by opposition leaders is also planned after the meeting.
The meeting plan follows a day of Congress-led demonstrations on Friday, when workers marched in several states and union territories calling for the resignation and removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstrations came after the All India Congress Committee instructed its state units to march to Election Commission offices. In Guwahati, Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi was taken into custody during a protest, while police in Manipur used tear gas after a rally escalated.
The CPI(M), CPI and CPI(ML)-Liberation have demanded Kumar's removal and an immediate halt to the SIR exercise, while the Congress Working Committee is scheduled to meet in New Delhi on September 29 to firm up the party's strategy.
What triggered the fresh mobilisation
The opposition's latest push follows an Indian Express investigation reporting that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi officially recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over a 10-month period against decisions and directives linked to the SIR process, including changes to voter-registration Form 6, additions and deletions from electoral rolls and the centralised management of voter data. The Election Commission has dismissed these objections as evidence of internal dissent, saying differing opinions are normal for a multi-member constitutional body and that all final SIR decisions were unanimous. The BJP rejected the opposition's charges, saying the SIR procedure was legally robust and adopted by majority consensus.
Opposition coordination widens
In a significant development, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has reached out to Congress leadership and CPI(M) general secretary M. A. Baby over the issue. Baby wrote to INDIA bloc and other opposition leaders seeking a coordinated meeting, and TMC MP Saugata Roy said Banerjee had agreed to the proposal. Opposition parties are also working on a fresh removal notice against CEC Kumar to be submitted in both Houses of Parliament after legal vetting, which would be the third such attempt.
Sources:
INDIA Bloc to Meet in Delhi on September 30 as Opposition Escalates Row Over Election Commission, Voter List Revision and CEC Gyanesh Kumar — The Bridge Chronicle
INDIA bloc parties likely to meet on September 30 over EC row, other issues — Fact.net.in
The proposed meeting could be held at the Constitution Club of India, bringing together senior alliance leaders amid rising political heat over the poll panel. Sources said the agenda would focus on the Election Commission and related issues, with consultations still underway on the final list of participants. A joint press conference by opposition leaders is also planned after the meeting.
The meeting plan follows a day of Congress-led demonstrations on Friday, when workers marched in several states and union territories calling for the resignation and removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstrations came after the All India Congress Committee instructed its state units to march to Election Commission offices. In Guwahati, Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi was taken into custody during a protest, while police in Manipur used tear gas after a rally escalated.
The CPI(M), CPI and CPI(ML)-Liberation have demanded Kumar's removal and an immediate halt to the SIR exercise, while the Congress Working Committee is scheduled to meet in New Delhi on September 29 to firm up the party's strategy.
What triggered the fresh mobilisation
The opposition's latest push follows an Indian Express investigation reporting that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi officially recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over a 10-month period against decisions and directives linked to the SIR process, including changes to voter-registration Form 6, additions and deletions from electoral rolls and the centralised management of voter data. The Election Commission has dismissed these objections as evidence of internal dissent, saying differing opinions are normal for a multi-member constitutional body and that all final SIR decisions were unanimous. The BJP rejected the opposition's charges, saying the SIR procedure was legally robust and adopted by majority consensus.
Opposition coordination widens
In a significant development, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has reached out to Congress leadership and CPI(M) general secretary M. A. Baby over the issue. Baby wrote to INDIA bloc and other opposition leaders seeking a coordinated meeting, and TMC MP Saugata Roy said Banerjee had agreed to the proposal. Opposition parties are also working on a fresh removal notice against CEC Kumar to be submitted in both Houses of Parliament after legal vetting, which would be the third such attempt.
Sources:
INDIA Bloc to Meet in Delhi on September 30 as Opposition Escalates Row Over Election Commission, Voter List Revision and CEC Gyanesh Kumar — The Bridge Chronicle
INDIA bloc parties likely to meet on September 30 over EC row, other issues — Fact.net.in
