INDIA bloc to hold virtual meeting today, to discuss roadmap for protests against CEC Gyanesh Kumar

A virtual meeting of the opposition's INDIA bloc will be held on Thursday evening to discuss the strategy for protests over the alleged "vote chori" issue and demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, sources claimed.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will chair the meeting, which will also review the preparations for the INDIA bloc's rally in Delhi on November 1, they said.

The INDIA bloc leaders would brainstorm on charting out the roadmap of protests, review the preparations for the November 1 rally and ways to corner the government over the 'vote chori' issue.

The meeting also assumes significance as it comes at a time when there is speculation over the government convening Parliament for passing a Constitution amendment bill, involving delimitation, for the early implementation of the Women's Reservation Act.

Earlier this month, the Opposition parties held back-to-back protests demanding the immediate removal of the Chief Election Commissioner over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The leaders took to the streets on October 6, when they first marched from Parliament to the Election Commission but were stopped along the way, with Rahul Gandhi staging an eight-hour sit-in inside the Akashvani Bhawan complex before being removed.

Opposition MPs met for lunch in central Delhi on October 7 and then staged a march to Jantar Mantar. The next day, they visited Rajghat.

Last week, the protests over the "vote theft" charge reached the Supreme Court's doorstep.

On October 12, opposition stalwarts, joined by activists and civil society members, took part in a "March for Democracy" along a heavily barricaded route and filed a joint petition against Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging poll irregularities, in a major show of strength in the national capital.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also hosted INDIA bloc leaders for tea at his home on October 13. After the meeting, the opposition bloc vowed to continue resisting and take the "vote chori" fight to its logical conclusion.