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Politics

INDIA bloc announces district-level 'Save Democracy March' after three-hour meeting on SIR, CEC

The INDIA opposition bloc ended a three-hour coordination meeting in New Delhi with a nationwide agitation plan: district-level 'Save Democracy March' demonstrations from 2 to 8 October, as Mamata Banerjee demanded CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.

By Priya Raman · · 1 min read

Official portrait of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, wearing a white sari with blue stripes
Chief Minister's Office, Government of West Bengal / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 1.0)

The INDIA opposition bloc held a three-hour coordination meeting at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi on 30 September, and emerged with a nationwide plan centred on the Election Commission.

Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav were among the attendees. The agenda was the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and the functioning of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

After the meeting, Kharge announced that INDIA bloc members, civil-society groups and like-minded people would hold district-level “Save Democracy March” demonstrations outside all district magistrate offices from 2 to 8 October. He said EC officials were “merely pawns, while Amit Shah and Modi are manipulating them like puppets”, and that the parties would fight unitedly.

Banerjee demanded Kumar’s immediate resignation, warning the campaign would gain momentum if he refused. Rahul Gandhi said the bloc had a “good discussion” and would ensure those who had “destroyed Indian democracy” were punished.

The BJP called the bloc crumbling, with Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan citing absences: the DMK and AAP skipped the meeting, Akhilesh Yadav stayed away for Rajya Sabha nominations in UP, and Uddhav Thackeray joined virtually. AAP MP Sanjay Singh said his party was not in the alliance but called the CEC issue a “national issue” and backed the 2 October protest.

Rahul Gandhi had served an impeachment-style notice against the CEC on 25 September over alleged voter-roll manipulation.

Sources

More on this topic: all Politics stories

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