Opposition parties belonging to the INDIA bloc met in New Delhi on September 30 to discuss a coordinated response to the ongoing controversy surrounding the Election Commission of India and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The meeting focused on developing a joint political strategy, including possible nationwide demonstrations and parliamentary action concerning Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Opposition Parties Discuss Joint Action

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and representatives of several opposition parties participated in the discussions.

Leaders from the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Left parties, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), Shiv Sena (UBT) and other groups were involved in the meeting. Some parties and individual leaders did not attend in person.

The principal discussion centered on the SIR exercise and concerns raised by opposition parties regarding electoral-roll procedures.

Demand for Action Against CEC

Opposition leaders discussed a fresh parliamentary motion seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The issue has become a major point of disagreement between opposition parties and the Election Commission. Opposition leaders have called for greater transparency and have questioned aspects of the electoral-roll revision process.

The proposed parliamentary action would require support from lawmakers and would have to follow the constitutional and parliamentary procedures governing the removal of an Election Commissioner.

Debate Over Electoral Rolls

The Special Intensive Revision has become one of the most prominent political issues for the opposition.

Congress leaders have demanded changes to the current process and have called for the use of earlier electoral rolls in future elections. Kharge also raised the issue of voting methods during his opening remarks at the meeting.

The Election Commission, however, has defended the SIR process and maintained that its decisions operate within the legal framework. Government and poll-panel sources have rejected the opposition’s criticism.

Different Parties Take Different Positions

The meeting also highlighted differences in participation among opposition parties.

The Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav did not attend personally because of commitments related to the Rajya Sabha nomination process in Uttar Pradesh, although representatives of the party participated. Uddhav Thackeray was expected to join virtually. The DMK and AAP were among the parties that did not participate in the meeting.

Despite these differences, several opposition parties continued to discuss coordinated action on the Election Commission-related issues.

Nationwide Protest Plan Discussed

The bloc also considered a broader campaign involving demonstrations and public outreach.

Congress leaders have proposed a large-scale agitation involving multiple opposition parties. The objective, according to party statements, is to raise concerns over electoral-roll procedures and demand greater transparency in the election process.

Political Debate Continues

The dispute has become an important part of India’s current political debate, with the opposition questioning aspects of the SIR exercise while the Election Commission maintains that the process follows established legal procedures.

The next stage is expected to involve further parliamentary discussions, political mobilisation and continued debate over electoral-roll revision.

The developments will also be closely watched in states where electoral-roll revision and upcoming elections make voter-list procedures particularly significant.