Published Nov 01, 2026 | 12:13 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 01, 2026 | 12:47 PM
In a post on X, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, invited people to ensure their participation in the protests.
Supporters of various opposition parties, students and other activists have started gathering at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, November 1, ahead of the INDIA bloc’s “Chalo Dilli” march against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the BJP-led central government over alleged electoral irregularities and large-scale voter deletions.
The march is scheduled to begin at 12:00 PM from Connaught Place and pass through Minto Road Junction and Ajmeri Gate before culminating at Ramlila Maidan.
In a post on X, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, invited people to ensure their participation in the protests.
“Delhi, get ready! Save the Vote, Save the Nation. Come to Connaught Place, let’s march together. Or meet directly at Ramlila Maidan – but you must come,” Gandhi wrote in a post on X.
Amid BJP criticism and concerns raised by traders regarding loss of business due to the protest, Gandhi, in an earlier post on X, urged those coming for the march to “do a little shopping.”
“Tomorrow, lakhs of people are coming to Delhi for the Ramlila March. It is the festive season. The time of Diwali, Chhath, and Bhai Dooj has arrived. I want those lakhs of people coming to Delhi from outside to support the traders here. Protest, march, hold rallies, and along with that, do a little shopping too – it will benefit the traders,” Gandhi said.
“I know the rally will not harm the traders. The BJP is scared, that’s why it’s spreading rumors. But let’s do both. Tomorrow there will be a march, there will be a rally, and lakhs of people will buy goods from the small shops of our traders,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police on October 31 said that permission has been granted only for the march at Ramlila Maidan and that the Opposition had not sought approval for the rally at Connaught Place.
Over 3000 police personnel and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) contingents have been deployed near the venue. The Ramlila Maidan has a capacity to accommodate 50,000 people, while the Opposition is expecting lakhs of people to join the protest. Around 250 CCTV cameras have been installed in the area.
Rahul Gandhi had earlier alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was trying to stop people from reaching Delhi ahead of the protest, while stressing that such attempts would not deter the participants.
“The Home Minister is doing his best to stop people from coming to Delhi, trying to ensure that our party members, thousands of people, common people who want to come from UP, Haryana, Punjab, Telangana are being stopped. Now you watch what happens at Ramlila Maidan. You watch how many people come and how many they are able to stop. Then you will understand what is happening in this country,” Rahul said.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha said there was “huge anger and emotional pain” among the public over the deletion of over 13 crore voters through the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Rahul alleged that millions of people were being “disenfranchised” to benefit businessmen Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani, PM Modi and Amit Shah.
The INDIA bloc’s mega rally comes a day after its symbolic “public impeachment” of the CEC over charges including conspiring to steal elections, deleting 13.2 crore voters from the voter list and acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
(Edited by Fayisa CA)
Not only Ramlila Maidan, but the entire Delhi is flooded with people.
: Congress General Secretary (Org.) Shri @kcvenugopalmp https://t.co/MAzgIV5KjH
— Congress (@INCIndia) November 1, 2026
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday took a jibe at the Uttar Pradesh government over claims of missing voters and asked them to come to Ramlila Maidan to join the INDIA bloc's protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over electoral irregularities.
"...The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh himself admitted that 1 crore 27 lakh votes had gone missing. And when did he realise this? Only after he lost the MLC election. Those who used to talk about a 'double engine' have themselves ended up as a 'double zero.' It didn't just stop at a 'double zero'; unable to accept the defeat, they approached the Election Commission and demanded a recount. The 'double engine' government suffered a double defeat in a single election, and now, suddenly, they claim that 1.27 crore votes, purportedly from Hindus, are missing. Who provided this data?" he asked.
"...The government is alleging that the votes of lakhs of beneficiaries are missing. If that is the case, then perhaps they, too, should come to Ramlila Maidan..." he said.
