INDIA bloc's 'public impeachment' of CEC Gyanesh Kumar moved to Saturday 4 pm; Ramlila Maidan march on Sunday

Format and speakers

The programme is modelled on parliamentary proceedings. About 30 speakers are expected, including representatives of 21 political parties. Besides Kharge and Gandhi, one representative from each participating party is likely to speak. One report says that senior Congress leader Meira Kumar is expected to chair the proceedings, with Kharge moving the motion and Gandhi giving the closing remarks.

The opposition had first tried to get the Constitution Club and Talkatora Stadium, and could not secure either. A preparatory meeting on Thursday, 29 October, was attended by Congress general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh and K C Venugopal, Meira Kumar, Derek O'Brien of the Trinamool Congress, Harendra Malik of the Samajwadi Party, Mahua Maji of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and John Brittas of the CPI(M).

The opposition accuses the Election Commission of failing to address concerns over alleged 'vote chori', or vote theft, and irregularities in the electoral process. Congress and other parties have demanded Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The campaign follows a series of reports questioning the Commission's handling of the rolls.

Gandhi said the programmes aim to raise concerns about what he called the demolition of Indian democracy by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Kumar and his team at the Election Commission. He said the whole opposition is united and that it is one protest, not many. He alleged that party workers and citizens travelling to Delhi from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Telangana and Punjab were being stopped, and accused Shah of trying to stop people from reaching Delhi. The reports found do not say who is stopping them.

Congress has announced a 'Dilli Chalo' march to Ramlila Maidan on 1 November to protest the alleged vote theft, with a target of at least one million citizens. Gandhi invited political parties, civil society groups, social workers, journalists and ordinary citizens. One report says it is followed by a 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao' rally, a name that another report does not mention.

Gandhi invited political and non-political people, social and service groups, civil society and journalists to the programmes.

The event has no legal force. One report notes that a Chief Election Commissioner can be removed only through a resolution passed by a special majority in both Houses of Parliament, and that the bloc acknowledges it lacks the numbers. The reports found do not carry a response from the Election Commission to the event, to the campaign or to the allegations of irregularities in the electoral rolls.

The event is scheduled for the afternoon, so what is said there is not covered here. The reports found do not say whether the weather has cleared or whether the permission for the march has been granted. The next two days will show how many of the 21 parties send speakers, whether the Election Commission responds to the allegations, and how many people reach Ramlila Maidan on Sunday against Congress's target of one million.