Congress units in 550 districts across India marched to demand CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, sparking demonstrations in state capitals such as Jaipur, Delhi and Guwahati.
In Jaipur, police fired water cannons at Congress workers and leaders, and several protesters were detained to control the crowd. Delhi’s Congress chief Devender Yadav was among those held, warning that the party would keep fighting until Kumar stepped down.
The protests were triggered by reports that the Election Commission rejected objections raised by former commissioners over the SIR process and voter roll issues, leading to accusations of institutional dissent.
Left parties, including CPI(M) and Trinamool, joined the protests, marching to the Shaheed Bhagat Singh statue in New Delhi and calling for a united opposition front.
Party leaders announced that the INDIA coalition will meet on September 30 to deliberate on the CEC dispute, with some members promising a “free and frank discussion” on the matter.