INDIA bloc postpones public impeachment of CEC to Oct. 31 amid rain, says Rahul Gandhi
The opposition coalition led by the Congress delayed its planned public impeachment of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to Oct. 31 due to weather, and is preparing security for a Nov. 1 rally in Delhi.
The INDIA bloc, a coalition of opposition parties led by the Congress, announced that the public impeachment of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has been moved to Oct. 31 because of rain, Rahul Gandhi said at a press conference in Delhi. He said the decision was reached by consensus, noting that senior leaders would be uncomfortable in the current weather conditions.
The coalition plans to hold a rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on Nov. 1, inviting participants from several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Telangana and Punjab. Gandhi claimed Home Minister Amit Shah is attempting to prevent people from those states from joining the rally.
Security arrangements are being made for the Nov. 1 event, with Delhi Police deploying more than 3,000 personnel and installing over 200 CCTV cameras, including AI-enabled surveillance systems. The venue has been divided into 14 zones to manage the crowd, according to a police officer.
Samajwadi Party leader Dharmendra Yadav, speaking after Gandhi, said the postponed impeachment would take place around 3 p.m. on Oct. 31. The opposition also noted the BJP's recent loss of MLC seats in Uttar Pradesh as evidence of its united stance.
The Congress president's official residence was selected as the venue after earlier attempts to use the Ashok Hotel and Ramlila Maidan faced permission hurdles. The public impeachment is now scheduled for Oct. 30 at senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge's residence, ahead of the larger Nov. 1 rally.