Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has invited citizens to the November 1 'Save Votes-Save the Nation' rally in Delhi, raising serious allegations against the ECI and demanding a return to paper ballots amidst ongoing festive season concerns.
Kharge Calls for Major Protest in New Delhi
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday intensified his attack on the BJP and issued a passionate public appeal, urging citizens across the country to join the INDIA bloc’s upcoming 'Save Votes–Save the Nation' rally at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on November 1. Posting his call to action on X, Kharge accused the Modi government of going to extreme lengths to shield Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar amidst mounting allegations of systematic voter suppression and digital irregularities. Highlighting recent investigative findings and responses to Right to Information (RTI) applications, the Congress chief levelled severe allegations against both the Union Government and the Election Commission of India (ECI). "Even after countless revelations of vote theft, the Modi government is resorting to every possible trick to protect Gyanesh Kumar!" Kharge stated. "When information about the software used in SIR was sought through RTI, the Election Commission refused to respond, citing 'Trade Secrets'. In Uttar Pradesh, details of 16.18 lakh Form-6 applications have not been made public. In Pilibhit, irregularities were detected in the records of 10,470 voters. Now, they have been forced to order an investigation of Forms 6, 7, and 8 across the entire state," he added.
Opposition Demands Against Election Commission
Outlining the charter of demands raised by the opposition coalition against what he termed "collusion between BJP and the Election Commission," Kharge reiterated three primary requirements - Immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the complete repeal of the 2023 appointment law providing him legal protection; immediate halt to the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) software/process, along with the instant restoration of all voter names illegally removed from electoral rolls and abolition of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for all future elections in favour of paper ballots. "The three key demands of the INDIA alliance against the collusion between BJP and the Election Commission are clear: 1. CEC Gyanesh Kumar must resign, and the 2023 law providing him protection must be repealed. 2. SIR must be immediately halted. The names of voters illegally removed must be restored. 3. All elections must be conducted using paper ballots," he posted.
Constitutional Crusade and Public Appeal
Framing the November 1 demonstration not merely as an electoral dispute but as a broader constitutional crusade, the Congress president appealed for widespread public participation. "This is not just a fight to save votes; it is a people's struggle to save the Constitution and democracy," Kharge declared. "I appeal to every conscious citizen of the country — Come to Delhi on November 1! Join the 'Save Votes–Save the Nation' people's march and mega rally at Ramlila Maidan. Jai Hind! Jai Constitution!"
Trade Bodies Raise Concerns Over Timing
The call to rally comes even as internal discussions continue within the Congress leadership regarding appeals from local Delhi trade bodies requesting a postponement of the event until after the festive shopping season concludes. The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) had submitted representations to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over the INDIA bloc's planned rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1. CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal wrote to Rahul Gandhi on October 24, urging the alliance to postpone the Ramlila Maidan event until after November 10. The trade body cited potential business disruptions during the peak festive shopping season, which includes Dhanteras (Nov 6), Diwali (Nov 8) and Bhai Dooj (Nov 10).
Impact on Delhi Markets
In its letter, the CTI laid out why the timing of the rally is a major concern for Delhi's traders. According to the body, Dhanteras alone drives nearly Rs 25,000 crore worth of business in Delhi — from gold and jewellery to electronics, apparel and automobiles. This is the biggest sales window of the year, and any disruption could hit traders hard. The CTI pointed out that traffic diversions in central Delhi earlier in October had already cost retail and wholesale traders an estimated Rs 3,000 crore in losses. The bigger worry, it said, is location. Ramlila Maidan sits within a 5-km radius of nearly 20 of Delhi's largest wholesale and retail markets — Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Khari Baoli, Bhagirath Palace, Chawri Bazar, Karol Bagh and others. Security barricades, road diversions and possible metro curbs around the rally could cut off customer access right at peak shopping time. The letter also flagged the venue's proximity to Old Delhi and New Delhi railway stations. With thousands of outstation shoppers and wholesale traders travelling into the capital during the festive week, congestion around these transit hubs could create severe logistical bottlenecks, it said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)