INDIA coalition’s Delhi march clashes with Election Commission, calls for CEC’s resignation over roll overhaul

Delhi march sparks a standoff with the Election Commission

New Delhi – A demonstration organised by the INDIA coalition against the Election Commission erupted into a high‑tension confrontation on Tuesday. Opposition parliamentarians set off from the Parliament complex toward the Commission’s Nirvachan Sadan headquarters, only to be halted by security forces near the NITI Aayog campus where concrete barricades had been installed.

When the route was blocked, several members of parliament dropped to the ground and began a sit‑in. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, climbed onto a police barrier and waved the national flag while the protest continued. Senior figures such as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and other leaders from the INDIA alliance joined the demonstration. Police later took Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi into custody along with a handful of other participants as the crowd was dispersed.

Opposition challenges the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)

The core grievance revolves around the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Opposition parties allege procedural lapses and are demanding that the SIR exercise be abandoned. They also seek the restoration of names they claim were unfairly deleted from the voter lists.

A second flashpoint is the handling of Form 6, the document used to add new names to the rolls. Critics contend that the Commission’s treatment of Form 6 has been opaque and partisan, turning the roll‑revision issue into a wider political controversy.

Tightened security across central Delhi

Authorities deployed a heavy police presence along the planned march corridor. Barricades were erected at critical junctions, preventing demonstrators from reaching Nirvachan Sadan. After being stopped, the opposition shifted their rally to the vicinity of the Akashvani Bhawan, where they resumed chanting slogans and presenting their demands.

Political fallout

The ruling BJP dismissed the accusations, accusing Congress and its allies of trying to destabilise democratic institutions through street protests. The episode marks a further escalation in the ongoing battle over voter‑roll revisions. While the Election Commission defends its current revision process, opposition parties have pledged to continue pressing for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and for a reversal of the SIR exercise.

"We will not rest until the names of legitimate voters are restored and the chief election commissioner steps down," said a senior opposition spokesperson.