INDIA Bloc's March To Poll Body Office, Big Rally Plan In 'Vote Chori' Push

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, after the meeting of Opposition bloc INDIA, announced on Wednesday that all MPs from the non-BJP parties will march to the Election Commission on October 6 to register its protest against the poll body chief Gyanesh Kumar in the light of recent reports about the internal workings of the Election Commission. The Opposition will also hold five big rallies in October and November to highlight, what it calls, "vote chori" issue across country.

The comments follow an Indian Express report last week that detailed how Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi formally objected on record 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders related to the SIR process under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The key issues flagged in the Express report include rapid centralisation of the ECINet electoral roll database platform, unilateral changes made to new voter registration forms in Form 6 and decisions regarding voter list deletions during the SIR exercise.

The Opposition leaders, 84-year-old Congress chief said, will seek an appointment with the President in the second week of October to inform her of the "manner in which institutions are being taken over".

"Members of the INDIA bloc will stage protests at DM offices from October 2 to October 8, and on October 6, all opposition MPs will march to the Election Commission," Kharge said.