Delhi: INDIA bloc's symbolic 'public impeachment' of election chief postponed by rain to Saturday; November 1 Ramlila Maidan rally unchanged

Leaders of India's opposition INDIA bloc met on October 30 at the New Delhi residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, on Rajaji Marg, to prepare a symbolic 'public impeachment' of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Those attending included Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, general secretary (organisation) K. C. Venugopal and communications chief Jairam Ramesh, along with leaders of other bloc parties including Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien.

Why the event is being held

The bloc is demanding Kumar's resignation over what it calls electoral irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which it says is dropping genuine voters. Ramesh said the bloc had been denied other venues: the government-run Ashok Hotel first approved the event, then withdrew approval after police intervention, and police stopped workers setting up at Ramlila Maidan, which the bloc had booked, so the event was moved to Kharge's residence. These are the bloc's claims; no immediate response from the Election Commission was reported in the coverage.

Postponed a day by rain

The event, scheduled for 3:30 pm on October 30, was postponed by consensus to Saturday, October 31, at the same venue because of rain in the capital, Rahul Gandhi told reporters, inviting people from all walks of life to the coming rally. The 'public impeachment' is a symbolic protest with no legal force; it cannot actually remove the election commissioner.

November 1 rally unchanged

The bloc's 'Chalo Dilli' rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1 goes ahead as planned, with organisers expecting around one million people, pressing the same demand for Kumar's resignation. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has dismissed the rally as an expression of opposition frustration. Bloc leaders also visited Ramlila Maidan on Friday to review preparations.

This report is compiled from wire and Indian media coverage of October 30; 'public impeachment' is the bloc's own label for the event, and the irregularity allegations are the bloc's claims, not confirmed by the Election Commission.