The INDIA bloc has stepped up its fight with the Election Commission, with Opposition leaders beginning a march from Parliament to the poll panel’s office on Tuesday (October 6), demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The Congress is also planning a prolonged campaign across the country, calling for Kumar’s resignation and seeking a review of recent election results. The Aam Aadmi Party, however, will stay away from Tuesday’s protest. As part of its ‘Vote Bachao Desh Bachao’ campaign, the Congress has announced block-level rallies and padayatras from October 10, village-level chaupals from October 25, a mega rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on November 1, and six yatras that will converge on November 26.
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Meanwhile, security arrangements were heightened around the Election Commission headquarters in view of the INDIA bloc’s protest over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, officials said.
Security has also been stepped up at key points in New Delhi since Friday in view of protest calls issued by different organisations over the SIR exercise, they said.
The heightened deployment was put in place as several organisations and opposition parties have announced demonstrations in the national capital over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.
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The INDIA bloc announced that Opposition MPs will also meet President Droupadi Murmu to raise concerns over the SIR exercise. The protest call was issued after a meeting of 19 opposition parties on September 30.
The Election Commission has faced criticism from opposition parties over the conduct of the SIR exercise. The poll panel, however, has rejected allegations of a split among its three-member body and maintained that decisions relating to the exercise were taken unanimously.
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