Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan gears up for INDIA bloc rally against alleged ‘vote theft’

Preparations are gathering pace at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan ahead of the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally, with opposition parties planning to raise allegations of ‘vote theft’, challenge the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and target Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The rally comes as the opposition continues its campaign over electoral processes, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi calling on citizens to join what he described as a movement to defend democracy and the Constitution.

Rahul Gandhi calls for public participation

In a video message posted on X on Thursday (Oct 29), the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi urged people unhappy with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government to participate in the ‘Chalo Delhi Ramlila March’.

“Chalo Dilli Ramlila March, it is a march to save democracy, to stop vote theft, to save the Constitution. This is not a march of any one political party; it is a march of the soul of India,” Gandhi said. “All the people who are fed up with Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and Gyanesh Kumar, all the people who want to save democracy, who want to protect the Constitution, you all come.”

He urged people not to be deterred by the possibility of police action, saying the march was intended to bring citizens together around the protection of constitutional values.

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“Don’t worry about the police, don’t worry about lathis. The BJP will not have the guts to try any of their antics. Come march with us. We’ll walk together to protect the Constitution, to protect the Indian nation. So there is no need to panic; it is the country’s march, it is your march. You all come; together we will protect the Constitution and protect democracy,” he said.

Gandhi also called on student organisations across political affiliations to take part, arguing that concerns over freedom of expression and individual ideas should extend beyond party lines.

“I urge all student groups, regardless of your political affiliation, if you feel that India is under attack, if you feel you are under attack, your expression, your ideas, your way of thinking is under attack, come and join us,” he said.

The Congress leader described the gathering as a collective effort rather than an event belonging to a single political party.

Mock parliament planned before rally

This follows a meeting of INDIA bloc MPs hosted by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday (Oct 29). Opposition MPs are preparing for a mock parliament on Friday, during which they intend to symbolically ‘impeach’ Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

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The exercise is expected to precede Saturday’s rally at Ramlila Maidan, where the opposition plans to bring its objections over electoral rolls and alleged irregularities to the forefront.

The INDIA bloc’s campaign centres on its allegations of electoral malpractice, which have been contested politically, as opposition parties seek to turn the issue into a wider public mobilisation.