Central Delhi’s Rajaji Marg saw a sudden 12‑inch rainfall on Friday, causing the INDIA bloc to push its public impeachment of Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar from 3:30 pm to Saturday. The original slot was to be held on the lawns of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s official residence. The postponement was announced at a press conference held at the site in the late afternoon.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar will chair the proceedings, with Kharge slated to move the motion and Rahul Gandhi expected to deliver the concluding remarks. The event will again run from 3:30 pm on Saturday. The agenda includes a formal declaration of the alleged "vote chori" and a call for Kumar’s resignation.
The move follows Thursday’s preparatory meeting where senior Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh, K.C. Venugopal and others drafted the impeachment script. TMC’s Derek O’Brien and Samajwadi Party’s Harendra Malik also confirmed their attendance. The coalition aims to pressure the central government amid accusations of electoral manipulation.
Earlier this week, the bloc alleged that the government denied them permission to hold the impeachment, claiming the ruling party seeks to silence civilian voices. The opposition has slated a larger protest on Nov. 1 at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan to demand Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The next phase will see a demonstration of over 10,000 participants according to the protest organizers.
A local resident, 32‑year‑old Prakash Sharma, who lost his job after his name was removed from the voter list, said he plans to attend the Saturday session. He says the impeachment could restore faith in the electoral process for families like his. Meanwhile, a vendor at the lawns has set up a stall for free tea, hoping to keep the crowd hydrated.