Opposition INDIA bloc MPs on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, marched from Parliament towards the headquarters of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, addressing the protesters, vowed the Opposition would not relent in what he called a fight to 'save democracy.'

What the Protesters Demanded

Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan articulated three core demands on behalf of the bloc: the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), and the conduct of future elections through ballot papers rather than electronic voting machines. 'The whole country is witnessing this; they are taking away the rights of lakhs of voters,' she said.

Marching MPs carried Tricolours and banners bearing slogans such as 'Save Democracy,' raising chants against the CEC, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the RSS as they moved toward the poll panel's office.

The Form 6 Controversy at the Heart of the Protest

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate alleged that Gyanesh Kumar had arbitrarily altered Form 6 — the voter registration form — in a manner that, she argued, could only have been effected through legislation, not administrative order. 'Gyanesh Kumar arbitrarily changed Form 6, a change that could only have been made through law,' Shrinate said.

Shrinate further alleged that the CEC had claimed the change was made on the orders of the Supreme Court, but noted that the court had, the previous day, clarified it had given no such approval. This claim by the Opposition adds a judicial dimension to the controversy surrounding the electoral roll revision process.

Key Leaders Who Joined the March

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi joined Kharge and other INDIA bloc figures in staging a dharna after security forces stopped the march from reaching the ECI headquarters. Among those seen participating were Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Akhilesh Yadav, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) MP Kalyan Banerjee, and SP MP Dharmendra Yadav.

Notably, two prominent INDIA bloc constituents — the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — did not participate in the march, a development that opposition watchers are likely to scrutinise for what it signals about bloc cohesion.

The BJP's Response and Security Arrangements

AITC MP Saugata Roy dismissed the ruling party's defence of the CEC. 'No, no, what the BJP says does not bother us, because they are the ruling party and they will defend Gyanesh Kumar, with whose help they have been winning elections,' Roy said. The BJP has not, according to available reports, issued a formal response to the specific Form 6 allegation.

Delhi Police and other security personnel were placed on alert ahead of the protest, with barricades erected outside the ECI office. The marchers were stopped before reaching their destination, prompting the dharna by senior leaders.

What Comes Next

This comes amid a wider Opposition effort to challenge the credibility of electoral processes ahead of upcoming state elections. The protest is among the most visible yet by the INDIA bloc against the current Election Commission leadership. Whether the Supreme Court's clarification on the Form 6 order translates into any formal legal action by the Opposition remains to be seen. The absence of DMK and AAP from the march could also prompt internal discussions within the alliance about a unified strategy going forward.