INDIA Bloc Postpones 'Public Impeachment' of CEC Gyanesh Kumar to October 31 Over Rain

Rain over Delhi on Friday changed the schedule for the INDIA bloc's planned "public impeachment" of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The event was meant to take place that day at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's official residence at 10, Rajaji Marg. It has been pushed back one day, to Saturday, October 31, according to sources cited by PTI.

Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, explained the decision to reporters. The bloc decided by consensus to hold the same programme at the same time the next day, he said, because it would be uncomfortable for senior leaders to sit through the rain. Nothing else about the event is changing.

The proceedings are symbolic. They are meant as a public expression of the opposition's demand for Kumar's removal, and they accuse the poll panel of failing to address concerns over alleged "vote chori" (vote theft). Leaders and representatives of INDIA bloc parties were to gather to discuss the charges against Kumar and the opposition's demand for action. ANI, citing sources, reported that former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar will chair the session. Kharge will introduce the motion against Kumar, and Rahul Gandhi is expected to give closing remarks before it is adopted.

The venue itself was a fallback. The bloc chose Kharge's residence after failing to secure other locations, including the Constitution Club of India and Talkatora Stadium. On Tuesday, the Congress claimed it had been denied permission for the event. It accused the government of trying to silence ordinary people after "destroying" the electoral system.

On Thursday, bloc leaders met at Kharge's residence to finalise the plans. Those present included Congress general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh and K. C. Venugopal, and senior Congress leader Meira Kumar. Also there were TMC's Derek O'Brien, the Samajwadi Party's Harendra Malik, JMM's Mahua Maji and CPI(M)'s John Brittas, among others.

The impeachment is followed by a larger event. On November 1, the bloc plans a march to Ramlila Maidan against Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Gandhi said it is open to everyone who wants to come: political and non-political people, social and service workers, civil society figures and journalists. He described both programmes as being about the "demolition of Indian democracy" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Kumar and his crew in the Election Commission.

This follows earlier action this month. The bloc held a "Chalo Delhi – March for Democracy" after staging demonstrations and seeking Kumar's removal. Gandhi and Kharge asked to meet the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, but were not granted an audience. The bloc then marched toward the Supreme Court to submit a petition seeking Kumar's removal.

The SIR controversy sharpened after an Indian Express report last month. It indicated an internal rift within the poll panel, with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raising objections to the exercise.

What to watch now is Saturday's proceedings at Kharge's residence and then the Ramlila Maidan rally, which will show how far the opposition can draw support beyond party ranks.