Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi are sitting across from Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee in Delhi. They are mapping out a response to the Indian Express report claiming Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised 14 objections to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) over 10 months. The report alleges the deletion of voters and the controversial inclusion of Form 6, sparking the 'vote chori' charge against the Modi government.
The room is missing key players. DMK, TVK, and AAP are skipping the session. Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh clarified that AAP is not part of the INDIA alliance, rendering attendance pointless. Yet, Singh confirmed the party has signed the impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. “If an impeachment motion is brought in Parliament, we will join hands with all opposition parties,” Singh said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray joins via video link from Mumbai. Left parties, represented by CPI(M) Rajya Sabha floor leader John Brittas, and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Supriya Sule are also present. Some senior Samajwadi Party leaders may attend, though Akhilesh Yadav’s direct participation remains uncertain. The Election Commission has already rejected the dissent narrative, claiming SIR decisions were unanimous.
The tension spills into electoral arithmetic. Singh accused Congress of “troubling” the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, citing conflicting statements about seat sharing. “They say 150 seats, then 403, then 200. Are they fighting BJP or SP?” Singh asked. The meeting’s primary output will be a unified opposition strategy, potentially escalating to a nationwide protest over the integrity of the electoral rolls.