INDIA bloc leaders meet President Murmu, submit memorandum seeking CEC resignation

A high-level delegation of INDIA bloc leaders met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday evening, pressing their demand for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral roll irregularities.

The presidential appointment marked a critical juncture in the opposition coalition's ongoing four-day confrontation with the Election Commission of India concerning the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Earlier in the day, opposition parliamentarians gathered at the Central Hall of Parliament before attempting a march toward Rashtrapati Bhavan. Police intercepted the main body of MPs near Vijay Chowk, restricting access to a designated ten-member delegation permitted to enter the presidential estate.

The delegation presented a four-point memorandum that called for the ouster of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the termination of the ongoing electoral roll revision, a return to paper ballots, and a formal review of assembly polls conducted over the preceding two years.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee were among the senior figures who participated in the discussions. Other attendees included Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, NCP leader Supriya Sule, and leftist leaders M.A. Baby and D. Raja.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Kharge stated that the President listened to their representations regarding voter list discrepancies and requested supportive documentation. The opposition leadership indicated they are compiling additional records to substantiate their claims.

The political standoff has prompted heightened security measures across the national capital, including temporary mobile internet restrictions ordered by the Ministry of Home Affairs within a four-kilometer radius of the Janpath-Kartavya Path intersection starting Friday night. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court directed authorities to ensure public transit services, including the Delhi Metro, operate without complete prohibitions during the ongoing demonstrations.

Ruling coalition figures have strongly contested the opposition's campaign, accusing them of undermining constitutional bodies while legal and political scrutiny over the poll panel's procedures continues.