Mamata Banerjee’s silence at the INDIA bloc gathering in New Delhi on September 30, 2024, left a vacuum over whether Rahul Gandhi would head the coalition’s prime ministerial ticket. The meeting, held at the Constitution Club, also tackled the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the controversy surrounding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Banerjee said, ‘We will hold a press conference tomorrow’ and refrained from naming a candidate, a move that many interpreted as a strategic pause. During the session, she slammed the SIR process as “botched‑up” and accused the commission of orchestrating a “vote loot” scheme, even dubbing Kumar the “Vanish Kumar.” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced a series of district‑level ‘Save Democracy’ marches from October 2 to October 8, with a planned rally in Delhi, calling for Kumar’s removal. The protests aim to pressure the Election Commission to adopt transparent procedures, and observers say the coalition will use the marches to galvanise public support ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.