India news: Opposition doubles down against poll chief after detentions

Skip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

• India's opposition alliance set to stage another protest against the chief election commissioner in Delhi
• India's Cockroach group to stage similar protest in Bengaluru
• Foreign Ministry seeks update from Moscow about remaining Indian nationals working for Russian military

Here are the top headlines from India on Thursday, October 8:

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Skip next section India's opposition alliance plans third day of protest against election chief

October 8, 2026

India's opposition alliance plans third day of protest against election chief

A bloc of Indian political parties, in alliance against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP party, is expected to stage a protest in central Delhi on Thursday to demand the resignation of India's Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged misconduct. 

Opposition leaders including Indian National Congress' Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra are visibly at the forefront of the protest.

On Tuesday, Gandhi, Vadra, their supporters and over 200 allied Members of Parliament (MPs) marched on the Election Commission of India (ECI) to demand a meeting with Kumar. When blocked by the Delhi police, they began an impromptu sit in which ended with temporary detentions. 

On Wednesday, the INC hosted a lunch-meeting in Delhi for about 200 MPs to discuss action against the CEC. Post lunch, they loaded up in buses to move towards the designated protest site of Jantar Mantar in central Delhi. Eventually on foot, the lawmakers were stopped by the police again. 

A live feed on the YouTube channel of Gandhi's party showed police officials taking him into a vehicle and driving away. His sibling and lawmaker Vadra was also detained but taken to a different police station, as per Indian media. 

Both were released sometime after 8:00 p.m local time (1430 GMT). 

Gandhi and his fellow demonstrators have been demanding meetings with the Election Commission of India, Indian President Droupadi Murmu and a resignation from CEC Kumar.

They claim that Kumar is an agent of the Modi government and has been helping the Bharatiya Janata Party by rigging elections in their favor. These are significant and unprecedented accusations against the ECI — long regarded as one of the India's most trusted independent institutions.  

"I am thankful to every INDIA alliance MP standing firm in defense of our democracy - in Parliament, outside on the streets, and today near Jantar Mantar. They can stop a march. They can refuse a meeting. But they cannot stop the will of our people," Gandhi said on a post on X.  "Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Gyanesh Kumar and the entire system will be brought to justice," he wrote.

Modi's party and the election body reject the allegations.

https://p.dw.com/p/5NwMf

Skip next section Welcome to our coverage!

October 8, 2026

Welcome to our coverage!

Good morning! And welcome to DW's India blog. 

This is Mahima Kapoor reporting from Studio Delhi, and I will be your guide through the chaos of the Indian news cycle. 

Protests against India's Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Gyanesh Kumar, over allegations of misconduct and bias, remain at the forefront with opposition leaders planning to stage protests in central Delhi for the third straight day. That's after opposition leader (and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's key competitor) Rahul Gandhi was detained by the police for a second time on Wednesday evening.

Gandhi seems to be aiming for a hat trick.

CEC Kumar is under fire for a controversial revision of electoral rolls in India which have reportedly deleted over 130 million voters from the official lists since the exercise began in 2025.

Aside from the opposition, the satirical Cockroach Janta Party said it will also peacefully demonstrate in the southern city of Bengaluru as it looks to mobilize all parts of the nation to "reclaim our democracy."

On the international front, India's Foreign Ministry said it has sought an update from Russian authorities on the whereabouts of some 69 Indian nationals. They are part of the group which was reportedly recruited for the Russian Army.