INDIA bloc protests CEC Gyanesh Kumar, demands resignation and SIR cancellation
Synopsis
The INDIA bloc’s march to Election Commission headquarters on 6 October crystallises what has been building for weeks: a direct Opposition challenge to CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s authority, framed around alleged ‘vote theft’ during the SIR exercise. With AAP, DMK and BJD sitting out, the protest also lays bare the alliance’s fragility — a story within the story.
Key Takeaways
INDIA bloc MPs marched from Parliament to ECI headquarters in New Delhi on 6 October 2026 , demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
The bloc also demands cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and a return to ballot-paper elections .
Congress MPs Imran Masood, Sukhdeo Bhagat , and Karamvir Singh Boudh led the articulation of demands at the protest.
AAP, DMK , and BJD skipped the protest, exposing divisions within the 19-party alliance.
INDIA bloc leaders are also expected to meet President Droupadi Murmu to raise concerns over the SIR exercise.
The protest call followed a joint Opposition meeting on 30 September .
Opposition INDIA bloc MPs on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, staged a protest march from Parliament to the headquarters of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the immediate cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The demonstration, backed by 19 Opposition parties following a joint meeting on 30 September, marks one of the most direct confrontations between the Opposition and the Election Commission in recent memory.
Core Demands of the Protest
Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat spelled out the bloc's three-point agenda: the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, the scrapping of the SIR exercise, and a shift to ballot-paper elections. “Today, all the INDIA bloc parties are protesting from Makar Dwar. The purpose behind this is, first, that Gyanesh Kumar should resign, and the SIR should be cancelled. Elections should then be held using ballot papers because fair elections are not taking place,” Bhagat said.
Congress MP Imran Masood went further, arguing that Kumar had compromised the Election Commission’s institutional credibility. “The CEC should resign. Gyanesh Kumar has broken the trust that the Election Commission had earned as an independent and impartial institution in the country. When we demand Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, the BJP starts raising questions,” Masood said.
Allegations of ‘Vote Theft’ in SIR Exercise
Congress MP Karamvir Singh Boudh alleged that constitutional functionaries were misusing their authority to strip citizens of their franchise. “Some people holding constitutional posts and positions in constitutional departments are acting arbitrarily and misusing their positions. They are not only misusing their positions, but the right to vote given to the people under India’s democracy and Constitution by Babasaheb Dr B R Ambedkar has been taken away,” he said.
Boudh further claimed that voters across the country believed their legitimate registrations had been wrongly deleted during the SIR exercise, while erroneous entries were simultaneously corrected — an asymmetry the Opposition characterises as targeted “vote theft.” The protest follows a series of nationwide campaigns by INDIA bloc constituents specifically targeting CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
Cracks Within the INDIA Bloc
Notably, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) opted to skip the protest, highlighting fault lines within the Opposition alliance. Masood addressed the absences pointedly: “Those who are walking hand in hand with Rahul Gandhi will be the ones seen in this fight. The rest will either be swept away in the storm or will remain on the other side and be swept away.”
The remark underscores a recurring tension in the INDIA bloc — a coalition assembled primarily around opposition to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but fractured on tactical and regional lines whenever a common course of action is required.
What Comes Next
INDIA bloc leaders are also expected to call on President Droupadi Murmu to formally present their concerns over the SIR exercise. The Election Commission of India has not, according to available reports, issued a formal response to the resignation demand ahead of the march. The BJP has pushed back on the protest, questioning its political motivations. How the ECI and the Centre respond in the days ahead will determine whether this escalates into a sustained constitutional standoff.
Point of View
Which is why it is framing the protest as political theatre rather than engaging the SIR allegations on their merits. The real accountability question lies in the SIR data itself: were deletions disproportionate in specific constituencies, and by how much? Neither side has yet produced granular roll-level evidence in public, which means the debate remains in the realm of assertion. The absence of AAP, DMK and BJD is the subplot mainstream coverage is underplaying — if a 19-party bloc cannot hold together for a single march, its capacity to mount a united electoral challenge is open to serious doubt.
NationPress
6 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the INDIA bloc’s protest on 6 October about?
The INDIA bloc’s protest on 6 October 2026 demands the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The bloc also wants future elections to be conducted using ballot papers, alleging that free and fair elections are not currently taking place.
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls?
The Special Intensive Revision is an exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India to update voter rolls by verifying, adding, and deleting entries. Opposition parties allege that the SIR exercise has led to the wrongful deletion of legitimate voter registrations, which they describe as ‘vote theft.’
Why are some INDIA bloc parties absent from the protest?
AAP, DMK, and BJD chose not to participate in the march, revealing tactical and political divisions within the 19-party alliance. Congress MP Imran Masood suggested those absent would face political consequences, but did not offer a formal explanation for their decision.
What action are INDIA bloc leaders planning beyond the protest march?
INDIA bloc leaders are expected to seek a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu to formally present their concerns over the SIR exercise and the Election Commission’s conduct. The protest call itself followed a joint Opposition meeting held on 30 September.
How has the BJP responded to demands for CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation?
According to Congress MP Imran Masood, the BJP has responded by questioning the Opposition’s motives rather than addressing the SIR allegations directly. The government has not, according to available reports, made a formal statement on the resignation demand ahead of the march.
