New Delhi:A different face of protest against Gyanesh Kumar was seen in Delhi on Wednesday. The Aam Aadmi Party demonstrated outside the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer’s office at Kashmere Gate, while Congress-led INDIA block MPs moved towards Jantar Mantar. The target of both the parties remained the same political issues regarding Election Commission and SIR, but the strategy of taking to the streets was different. AAP Delhi President Saurabh Bhardwaj said that his party had also invited other opposition parties to join the protest, but many parties did not attend. After this, AAP leaders raised the question that when the issue is so big then why are the opposition parties choosing different platforms.
AAP raised the issue of Delhi elections
During its protest, AAP also made serious allegations regarding the assembly elections held in Delhi. Saurabh Bhardwaj claimed that the party was not defeated in the elections but was harmed through alleged changes in the SIR and voter list. He demanded cancellation of Delhi elections and re-election. However, these are political allegations and the Election Commission and the parties concerned disagree with these claims. The opposition is continuously raising questions regarding SIR, while the Election Commission calls it a process of verification and amendment of voter list.
Same issue, but different platform
After AAP’s demonstration outside the Delhi CEO office on Wednesday, workers associated with leftist organizations and Congress also protested. On the other hand, MPs from INDIA block marched towards Jantar Mantar after the meeting of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. The police stopped them on the way. Several opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, were detained and later released. These different programs are now raising questions about political coordination within the opposition unity.
AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha accused Congress of putting more political energy against Aam Aadmi Party than BJP. On the other hand, Congress MP Imran Masood hit back and said that if we want to fight against BJP, we will have to stand with Rahul Gandhi. According to him, the method of running the movement from different platforms can weaken opposition unity.
Now the competition becomes bigger with the entry of CJP
Meanwhile, Cockroach Janta Party i.e. CJP has also announced a big demonstration at Jantar Mantar on October 10. Organizations and many student groups are preparing for a movement demanding transparency and accountability in the electoral process. CJP says that its movement is not limited to the resignation of any one leader, but the question of comprehensive reform and accountability in the election system is also related to it.
The biggest question in this entire incident is whether the movement against Gyanesh Kumar will be able to bring the opposition parties on one platform or will the fight for leadership and political credit become its biggest story. At present, AAP is showing its own separate political space, Congress is leading through INDIA block and CJP is preparing to create separate pressure with youth and student organizations. In such a situation, as much as the issue of protest will be on the Election Commission in the coming days, the test of strategy and leadership within the opposition will also be in focus.