Rahul Gandhi Hosts High Tea to Unite Opposition Over CEC Row
INDIA bloc leaders, student groups and civil society representatives join a high-tea meeting as the Opposition vows to continue its campaign over electoral roll revision.
- Rahul Gandhi hosts opposition leaders, student groups and civil society representatives.
- Opposition vows to continue its campaign over the Gyanesh Kumar issue.
- Gandhi challenges restrictions on protests at Jantar Mantar.
- Petition seeks scrutiny of the SIR process and an independent audit.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 13th Oct: Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi hosted INDIA bloc leaders, opposition MPs, student organisations and civil society representatives at his Delhi residence on Tuesday, seeking to maintain pressure on the Centre over Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The meeting at 5, Sunehri Bagh Road came a day after opposition leaders and student activists participated in a ‘March for Democracy’ towards the Supreme Court. Gandhi said the gathering aimed to bring different groups together and prevent the protest movement from becoming fragmented.
In a post on X, Gandhi described the gathering as part of a movement to protect democracy and said participants would jointly present their concerns to the media. He added, “All protests are one. #Unity.”
At the subsequent press conference, Gandhi was joined by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghose and student activist Neha Bora, among others.
Gandhi said the Opposition was united in its demand for what he described as the restoration of democratic processes. He also criticised restrictions on holding demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, saying the Opposition would challenge the idea that the venue could no longer be used to express democratic demands.
He maintained that the campaign extended beyond political parties and vowed to continue the political and public resistance.
Monday’s march was attended by several opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, RJD working president Tejashwi Yadav, CPI leader D Raja, CPI(M) leader M A Baby and NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule, along with other INDIA bloc representatives.
The dispute centres on the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls. A petition filed by Gandhi and others names the Election Commission of India, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi as parties.
The plea seeks judicial scrutiny of decisions related to the SIR process, access to relevant records, a rollback of changes to Form 6 used for enrolling new voters, and an independent audit, among other reliefs.
The high-tea meeting reflects the Opposition’s attempt to sustain a coordinated campaign involving political parties and groups beyond the INDIA bloc. The legal challenge and demands concerning the electoral roll revision are expected to remain central to the dispute.
