INDIA bloc to meet President Droupadi Murmu over Election Commission row

President Droupadi Murmu has agreed to meet a delegation of leaders from the opposition INDIA bloc at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday evening. The 8 pm appointment follows a week of mounting political tension, with the opposition demanding an audience to air its grievances over the functioning of the Election Commission of India and its chief, Gyanesh Kumar.

For days, the opposition alliance has sought this meeting to raise what it calls a "hijacking" of the electoral process. At the heart of the dispute is the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and the conduct of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The opposition has accused the government and the election watchdog of "vote chori", or vote theft.

What triggered the dispute?

The immediate catalyst for the opposition's escalation was an internal rift within the election watchdog itself. A report by The Indian Express revealed that two election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, formally objected at least 14 times over a ten-month period to various decisions and orders. Most of these internal objections reportedly concerned the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls.

This disclosure gave the INDIA bloc the ammunition it needed to launch a coordinated campaign. The opposition argues that these internal objections prove the electoral roll revision process has been compromised.

The Election Commission has defended its internal processes, stating that differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberations within any democratic institution. The commission has maintained that all of its decisions carry full legal sanction and strictly follow established statutory procedures.

Protests and political pressure

Securing the meeting with President Murmu was the result of a persistent campaign. Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said the bloc sent its first request to Rashtrapati Bhavan on 2 October. After being asked to provide a list of attendees, the opposition submitted a revised request on 5 October, asking for an appointment between Monday and Friday.

While waiting for a response, the alliance intensified its protests on the streets. On Thursday, opposition leaders staged a sit-in at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Rajghat, marking their third consecutive day of demonstrations. The protests have been highly charged, with police previously detaining several high-profile leaders, including Rahul Gandhi.

The opposition has made it clear that they want Gyanesh Kumar to step down, pledging to continue their protests until the Chief Election Commissioner resigns. Ahead of the scheduled 8 pm meeting with the President, INDIA bloc MPs planned to assemble at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan to coordinate their next steps, with sources indicating that marches to other high-profile locations in New Delhi remain on the table.