Indian opposition parties to launch protests over alleged manipulation of voter lists


Supporters of India’s main opposition Congress party attend a protest demanding the resignation of India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi, India, September 25, 2026. REUTERS/Bhawika Chhabra

NEW DELHI, Sept ⁠30 (Reuters) - An alliance of India's opposition parties said ⁠on Wednesday it would launch protests to "save ‌democracy" after a newspaper report said the Election Commission pushed large-scale voter list changes despite two commissioners questioning the process.

• Opposition ​parties say the lists were manipulated ⁠to benefit Prime Minister ⁠Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party.

• The Election Commission of ⁠India ‌rejects the charges and says differences are normal in any institution and all its ⁠actionswere lawful.

• The planned protests, demanding the ​resignation of Chief ‌Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, include a march to ⁠the Election ​Commission office on October 6, a rally in New Delhi on November 1, and a representation to the ⁠president, the main opposition Congress ​party said.

• The decisions were taken at a meeting of the INDIA alliance, which includes some two dozen opposition ⁠parties, of which 20 attendedWednesday's meeting.

• "We are going to ensure that the people who have destroyed Indian democracy are punished," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told ​reporters after the meeting.

• The "cockroach" youth ⁠movement, whose protests led to the education minister's resignation ​in July, has also demandedKumar's ‌resignation, and is set to ​launch a protest on Friday.

(Reporting by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by YP Rajesh and Alison Williams)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Others Also Read