INDIA bloc's 'public impeachment' of CEC Gyanesh Kumar moved to October 31 ahead of Ramlila rally

By Friday, October 30, the opposition's preparations for a rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan were in full swing, and the INDIA bloc had also changed the date of a related event. Its "public impeachment" of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, first set for Friday, was pushed back a day to Saturday, October 31. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said rain was the reason. A headline on the story adds that the rain left the lawns muddy.

The larger event is set for November 1. Mr. Gandhi said opposition parties will hold a Chalo Dilli march from the Minto Road–Connaught Place junction in central Delhi to Ramlila Maidan. There the bloc will hold a rally against what it calls "vote chori" (vote theft) through the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, of electoral rolls, and will press for the CEC's resignation. The rally is due to begin around 11 a.m. Delhi Police have permitted the gathering between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., and people are expected to start arriving in the capital from the night of October 31.

The bloc framed the two days as one effort. Mr. Gandhi said "this is not multiple protests" but "one protest," and said the whole opposition stood united in protecting every Indian's vote and defending the Constitution. The bloc also claimed that the countdown to the ouster of the poll panel chief was accelerating.

Other leaders added their voices. CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas claimed that 10 lakh people would come to Delhi. CPI General Secretary D. Raja said the rally, led by the Congress and attended by the Left parties and other bloc members, would be "huge." He described the campaign as nationwide and driven by public anger over the SIR. He argued that the Election Commission must be impartial and neutral to ensure free and fair elections and protect the right to vote, and he demanded that the SIR be withdrawn. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav told a press conference, "We will go on November 1. We will also participate in the rally." In his sarcastic style, he also called for "better-quality" photographs on voter ID cards, saying the pictures in electoral rolls were often so unclear that a person could not be recognised.

Leaders were already travelling. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren left for New Delhi on Friday with state Congress leaders, among them the Jharkhand unit chief Keshav Mahto Kamlesh. The PTI report on their departure refers to the rally as being on Sunday, though November 1, 2026, falls on a Sunday and the other reports in this account give that date. In the capital, Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav set up 20 committees to handle arrangements, covering accommodation, venue management, sanitation and social media, according to an official statement.

A dispute has also emerged over access to the city. Mr. Brittas alleged that authorities were trying to keep participants from reaching Delhi. Mr. Gandhi made a similar charge against Home Minister Amit Shah, saying he was "trying his best" to stop people from other states from joining. He insisted the rally would be big regardless. The BJP rejected this. Spokesperson Sambit Patra called the claim a "lie" at a press conference, told Mr. Gandhi to stop misleading people, and demanded proof of the allegation. No evidence for either side's position appears in the reporting.

What to watch now is the October 31 impeachment event, then whether the November 1 turnout matches the organisers' claims, and whether the Election Commission responds to the demands over the SIR.