Opposition parties regrouped under the INDIA bloc banner in New Delhi on Wednesday, 30 September, reiterating their demand for Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and signalling a push for an impeachment motion in Parliament. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in turn, dismissed the gathering as an exercise in 'political opportunism.'

Key Developments at the Meeting

Congress MP KC Venugopal reiterated the allegation that the Election Commission is 'totally working for BJP,' arguing that this is why the ruling party is 'protecting' the poll panel. Samajwadi Party MP Pushpendra Saroj echoed the sentiment, stating that INDIA bloc parties have collectively concluded that 'democracy is being undermined' and that free and fair elections would not be possible if the current CEC continues in office.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav said: 'We have all come together to save democracy. We will fight to protect democracy, whether in Parliament, on the streets, or in court. The conspirators are plotting one conspiracy after another against the democracy, and they will not be spared.' He added: 'One Gyanesh Kumar will go, and another Gyanesh Kumar specimen will come. The people of the country will have to remove the BJP. We have to save the Constitution of the country and save democracy.'

CPI-M Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas said it was 'the responsibility of every citizen to rally behind the demand for Gyanesh Kumar's removal, so that the democracy can be saved.'

DMK's Position: Absent from the Meeting, Present on the Issue

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which had distanced itself from the INDIA bloc over differences with the Congress, clarified that its absence from the meeting does not signal a retreat on matters of national importance. DMK Spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan stated: 'It is the Parliament where it needs to be done (impeachment motion)...when the issue comes up before the House we will stand up against the CEC. Just by not attending the meeting, does not mean that we will backtrack on issues concerning the country.'

Notably, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), also outside the INDIA bloc, aligned with the demand. BJD MP Sasmit Patra said the party stands by its chief Naveen Patnaik's position calling for CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.

BJP Hits Back: 'An Alliance of Opportunists'

BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal launched a sharp counter, saying: 'This is not the INDIA bloc; it is an alliance of political opportunism among those who desire power and whom the people repeatedly reject... whether they meet or not has no significance, because the result will ultimately be zero. There is no constructive approach; it is a destructive approach, which has no place in society.'

BJP leader Shazia Ilmi questioned the opposition's consistency, arguing that the bloc had previously raised objections to EVMs and VVPATs, and now to the CEC. She also defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, asking whether the opposition wants 'deceased, duplicate and shifted voters to be retained.'

Democratic Trinamool Congress MLA Madan Mitra and Janata Dal-United (JDU) leader Rajiv Ranjan Prasad also questioned the bloc's internal cohesion, with Prasad remarking that the alliance has fractured 'into a thousand pieces.'

What Happens Next

The practical weight of the opposition's demand now rests on Parliament, where an impeachment motion against the CEC would require a structured legislative process. The DMK's conditional support and the BJD's alignment suggest the bloc may be able to assemble broader cross-party backing than its meeting attendance implies. Whether the numbers hold when the motion formally comes before the House remains to be seen.