Indian opposition rallies to demand election chief’s resignation

The rally at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday was organised by the INDIA opposition alliance and led by Congress politician Rahul Gandhi. The BBC and Associated Press estimated that tens of thousands attended.

Opposition parties say the revision of electoral rolls is removing eligible voters and could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in future elections. The Election Commission and the BJP deny the allegations.

The commission says the review is intended to remove duplicate registrations and the names of people who have died, moved away or are otherwise ineligible. It says eligible voters who have been wrongly excluded can seek to have their names restored. In a written parliamentary reply in July, the government described a period for claims and objections before rolls are finalised, with valid claims leading to names being restored.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and regional opposition leaders Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav were among those at the rally. Kharge said the alliance would continue its campaign until Kumar resigned, according to the BBC.

BJP minister JP Nadda accused the opposition of trying to create unrest and destabilise the government.

The day before the rally, opposition leaders staged a symbolic impeachment of Kumar. It had no legal force: removing the chief election commissioner requires a formal parliamentary process.