INDIA Bloc Stages Mock Arrest of CEC Gyanesh Kumar in Bengaluru
Opposition parties belonging to the INDIA bloc staged a demonstration at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Wednesday, demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. During the demonstration, political workers enacted a mock arrest of the poll panel chief to protest alleged electoral roll manipulation under the Special Intensive Revision exercise.
The three-hour demonstration, conducted between 11 am and 2 pm, brought together coalition parties including the Congress, CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation, Forward Bloc, and the Samajwadi Party. Community groups including the Federation of Dalit Organisations joined the gathering alongside Sarvodaya Karnataka, the Republican Party of India, and activists from Eddelu Karnataka. Special Intensive Revisions were conducted between 1952 and 2004 across multiple states under Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, with the 2025 exercise representing India's first nationwide revision in 20 years, according to PMF IAS.
Regional Leadership and Demonstration Details
The Bengaluru rally was presided over by state leaders, with Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar appearing alongside former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and state Congress chief BK Hariprasad. Multilingual film actor Prakash Raj joined coalition leaders on the demonstration dais to express solidarity with the campaign.
Participating state party leaders included CPI(M) state secretary Prakash K, CPI state secretary Sathi Sundaresh, and CPI(ML) Liberation state secretary Clifton D'Rozario. Forward Bloc president JR Shivashankar and Samajwadi Party state president N Manjappa also addressed attendees, demanding accountability from election authorities.
Nationwide Mobilisation at Ramlila Maidan
The demonstration in Bengaluru followed a nationwide rally organised by the opposition coalition at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on November 1. Opposition heavyweights, including Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, addressed the Delhi assembly alongside Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.
Speaking at Ramlila Maidan, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the commission assisted the ruling party and asserted that legal proceedings would follow against the election chief. Gandhi stated that Kumar would face removal from his post and warned that opposition parties would hold election officials legally accountable. Gandhi also directed political criticism at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his address. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the ruling alliance of securing power through compromised mandates across several states.
Youth Congress Disciplinary Measures
Following the national mobilisation in the capital, the Indian Youth Congress initiated organizational action against absent leaders. The youth wing suspended 215 office-bearers across eight states, following initial notices against more than 200 functionaries who failed to participate in the November 1 demonstration. In Madhya Pradesh, 60 Youth Congress office-bearers were suspended, including 32 state secretaries, 14 general secretaries, 5 vice-presidents, and 9 district presidents, according to The Tribune.
The opposition alliance reiterated plans to intensify regional agitations across state capitals until their grievances regarding voter revision processes are addressed.