INDIA Bloc’s November 1 Ramlila Maidan Rally to Showcase Opposition Unity, Says Congress
Congress leaders review preparations for the Delhi rally as the alliance intensifies its campaign against alleged electoral irregularities and calls for the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation.
New Delhi: The Congress on Friday said the INDIA bloc’s proposed mega rally at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on November 1 would demonstrate opposition unity in defending democratic institutions and intensify its campaign over allegations of “vote chori” linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Congress general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and K C Venugopal held separate meetings with party leaders from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters to review mobilisation plans for the rally.
The Uttar Pradesh meeting was attended by AICC in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam, former UPCC president Ajay Rai, working president Imran Masood, senior leader Salman Khurshid, and Ajay Lallu, among others. The Haryana meeting included AICC in-charge Sanjay Dutt, PCC president Rao Narender Singh, Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala, and MP Deepender Hooda.
After the meetings, Venugopal said on X that the rally would mark the culmination of a nationwide “Delhi Chalo March”, which the Congress expects will bring around one million people to the national capital.
He alleged that the opposition’s campaign against “vote chori” would become historic and claimed that people from across the country would gather to send a message of unity against those responsible for alleged electoral irregularities. These are political allegations made by the Congress and have not been independently established.
The November 1 rally is also expected to renew the opposition’s demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise.
The campaign gathered momentum on October 12, when leaders from the INDIA bloc, activists and civil society members held a “March for Democracy” to the Supreme Court and submitted a joint petition challenging the SIR process. A day later, Rahul Gandhi hosted INDIA bloc leaders at his residence, where the alliance reiterated its commitment to continuing its campaign against what it describes as electoral irregularities.
The Election Commission has defended the SIR exercise as part of its electoral roll revision process, while opposition parties continue to question its implementation and impact on eligible voters.