New Delhi, 29 October—In a meeting today at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leaders of the INDIA bloc discussed preparations and strategy for a proposed ‘People’s Impeachment’ of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar ahead of the Opposition alliance’s November 1 rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan.
The meeting focused on the modalities of a public impeachment programme against Kumar, scheduled to be held on Friday at Kharge’s residence, with Opposition leaders deliberating on the presentation of charges against the CEC and the participation of alliance partners.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar will preside over the public impeachment programme, while Kharge will move the public impeachment resolution against the Chief Election Commissioner. Representatives of the INDIA bloc constituents will subsequently put forward their respective positions, followed by the presentation of a chargesheet against Kumar, sources pointed out.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is expected to deliver the concluding address.
Among those of who attended Thursday’s meeting were Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Mahua Maji, Trinamool Congress Party leader Derek O’Brian, Samajwadi Party MP Harendra Malik, CPM MP John Brittas, Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Manickam Tagore among others.
Sources said representatives of civil society and people allegedly affected by the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls are also likely to be invited to the programme.
The Opposition parties intend to project the exercise not as a replication of parliamentary proceedings but as a public platform to demand accountability from the Chief Election Commissioner over his functioning.
The proposed initiative is being organised ahead of the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan, where the alliance is expected to intensify its campaign against the Election Commission over issues relating to electoral processes and the SIR exercise.
Speaking after the meeting, Congress leader Pawan Khera said preparations for the public impeachment initiative against Gyanesh Kumar were progressing well.
He said leaders of all INDIA bloc constituents had discussed the issue in detail and deliberated on various aspects of taking the programme forward.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi has issued an appeal today to people of the country to join his mega November 1 Ramlila Maidan rally against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged ‘vote chori’, projecting it as a march to “save democracy and protect the Constitution.
“Come to Delhi for the Ramlila March. This is a march to save democracy, to stop vote theft, and to protect the Constitution,” he said in a post on X.
Rahul said that his march is not organised by any one political party but a “march for the soul of India”.
“This is one protest – a protest by the nation”, the Congress leader underlined.
In views of the recent police brutality against student protesters, Rahul assured his supporter not to worry about the crackdown.
“Don’t worry about lathis- the BJP will not have guts to try any of their antics”, he said urging all student groups, regardless of their political affiliations to join him.
“If you feel India that is under attack, if you feel you are under attack, that your expression, your ideas and your way of thinking are under attack, come and join us”, Rahul appealed.
The Congress leader has announced a mega rally against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
It expects around one million people to attend the rally, with preparations underway over the past few days.
Meanwhile, traders in the national capital have written to Rahul Gandhi, urging him to postpone the mega rally, citing business losses amid the peak festive season.
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