The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) on Sunday, 1 November 2026, warned that the INDIA bloc's mega rally at Ramlila Maidan could trigger an unprecedented disruption for Delhi's business community, with around 2.5 lakh shops expected to remain shut within a five-kilometre radius of the venue — threatening an estimated ₹10,000–12,000 crore in daily festive-season trade across 20 major markets. The warning comes on one of the most critical pre-Diwali shopping days, with Dhanteras falling on 6 November and Diwali on 8 November.

Scale of the Shutdown

CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal said approximately 2.5 lakh of the nearly three lakh shops in markets within a five-kilometre radius of Ramlila Maidan were expected to remain closed on the day of the rally. The organisation further warned that nearly 80 per cent of business activity in the affected zone could come to a standstill, hitting Central Delhi and Old Delhi — areas that form the commercial backbone of the national capital's festive trade.

Around 20 lakh traders and 75 lakh people associated with the broader trading ecosystem could feel the impact, according to CTI's assessment.

Supply Chain and Transport Disruption

Beyond shop closures, Goyal highlighted severe disruption to goods movement across a 10-kilometre radius of the rally venue, with loading and unloading operations likely suspended. He said roughly 5,000 trucks and tempos carrying goods from 56 industrial areas — including Narela, Bawana, Okhla, Mayapuri, Mundka and Udyog Nagar — normally reach these markets daily.

'The entire supply chain has been disrupted today. Goods meant for the Dhanteras season are lying in warehouses and cannot reach the shops,' Goyal said.

The CTI also warned that customers from nearby cities such as Sonipat, Panipat, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida, Meerut, Bahadurgarh and Jhajjar were likely to avoid Delhi due to concerns over traffic congestion and market closures. Goyal raised additional concerns about parking for an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 buses, cars and tempos required to ferry rally participants, flagging potential gridlock along JLN Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Netaji Subhash Marg, Ajmeri Gate and Chandni Chowk Road.

CTI's Appeal to Rahul Gandhi

This is the fourth letter CTI has written to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the potential impact of the rally on Delhi's trading community. While welcoming Gandhi's video appeal asking rally-goers to visit Delhi markets and shop in support of traders, the CTI said the ground reality was starkly different.

'When the shops themselves will remain closed, where will the people attending the rally go for shopping?' Goyal asked pointedly.

The organisation reiterated it was not opposed to the opposition rally but called for ensuring that business activities and public movement remained unaffected. 'Hold your rally, but not at the cost of the Diwali business of 20 markets. First, ensure that the roads remain open,' the CTI said in its appeal.

Traders Push Back on 'BJP Agent' Allegations

Goyal firmly rejected allegations that traders were acting as agents of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying around 100 major market associations had appealed for the rally to be postponed purely to protect their livelihoods during the peak festive season. 'We are traders, not BJP agents. These 100 major market associations are not agents of any political party. They are traders of Delhi, and their business is trade, not politics,' he said.

The CTI clarified that it was 'neither in favour of nor against any political party,' framing the concern as an economic one rather than a political stance.

With Dhanteras and Diwali days away, the outcome of Sunday's disruption is likely to shape trader sentiment toward large political gatherings in Delhi's commercial heartland well beyond this election cycle.