Congress plans public trial, mega rally to demand CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation

New Delhi: After a brief lull, the Congress is set to intensify its ‘vote chori’ campaign with a symbolic public trial on October 30, followed by a mega rally on November 1 to press for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the October 30 event would take the form of a public trial. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge has reached out to INDIA bloc leaders, urging them to ensure the presence of their MPs or senior leaders in Delhi. The Congress is also planning a Delhi Chalo march ahead of the rally on November 1, for which it aims to mobilise at least 10 lakh people. With Rahul Gandhi expected to return from his foreign trip on Sunday, the Congress is set to finalise its protest strategy. He is learnt to have convened a meeting for Monday and has remained in constant touch with Congress and other opposition leaders during his trip.

The Congress had paused its agitation in view of the Navratri festivities. However, the proposed rally has drawn objections from the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI), which has written to Gandhi urging him to postpone the protest until after November 10 to avoid disrupting business during the Diwali season. Diwali falls on November 8, followed by Bhai Dooj on November 10. In his letter, CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal said Delhi clocks trade worth around ₹25,000 crore during the festive period across sectors such as gold, silver, electronics, garments, utensils, dry fruits, sweets, automobiles and real estate. He warned that the protest could affect business during this crucial period.

Meanwhile, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Rahul Gandhi of 'rubbing salt into the wounds' of victims of the anti-Sikh riots that followed the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984. He claimed that other INDIA bloc parties were reluctant to hold the rally on November 1, but alleged that Gandhi was pressing ahead with the plan without heeding his allies’ concerns.

Congress seeks SIR freeze, independent audit of electoral rolls
In view of errors detected in the electoral rolls for the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections, the Congress has demanded a nationwide probe into voter lists and a halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The party said the Election Commission could not shirk responsibility by blaming software for the discrepancies. It also reiterated its allegation that electoral irregularities, including those in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, were part of an attempt to benefit the BJP.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh described the errors in the Uttar Pradesh MLC electoral rolls as bizarre and questioned the reliability of electoral rolls elsewhere. “If such errors had occurred in the electoral rolls for MLC elections, how could the Commission rule out similar discrepancies in other elections?” he asked.