NEW DELHI: Thousands protested in New Delhi on Sunday to demand the resignation of India’s election chief over a revision of voter lists, the latest in more than a month of opposition demonstrations challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Led by Congress party chief Rahul Gandhi, Sunday’s protesters say the controversial revision benefits Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Congress leader #RahulGandhi heads to Ramlila Maidan as thousands gather in Delhi to demand the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
@sighyush reports https://t.co/xj5vYfdyS2
— Scroll.in (@scroll_in) November 1, 2026
Analysts say the protests and growing support for the opposition form the worst crisis for Modi since he came to power in 2014.
Authorities tightened security and warned of traffic diversions before protesters began a march from central Delhi to the designated rally site, where the opposition has predicted hundreds of thousands of people would participate.
𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬 𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗔, 𝗩𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚!
Thousands are heading towards Ramlila Maidan, Delhi, to stand up for electoral transparency, accountability and democratic rights.
One Constitution. One Democracy. Millions of voices! https://t.co/1rz3Fon4zK
— Neha Bora Team (@NehaAisa) November 1, 2026
Calls for Accountability
Hundreds of security personnel, some of them carrying batons and shields and accompanied by riot-control vehicles, surrounded the historic Ramlila Maidan ground as hundreds of people, many waving national and party flags, began moving towards it.
Opposition party leaders led the march in an open-top jeep.
#WATCH | Delhi: INDIA Bloc Rally | AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal says, “…Today, the people of India have given a clear message to Narendra Modi and Amit Shah that their time is over. Their time to retain power by hook or by crook is over. Now, the people of India have identified who the culprits are. They are destroying the democracy of India by misusing the Chief Election Commissioner. Rahul Ji stated very clearly in today’s meeting that the people of India wanted to send a message to Modi and Shah through this mammoth rally…You can see the sea of people. This is a clear reaction from the country; it is a clear reply to the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and those who are destroying the democracy of this country. People are not going to allow them to do that again…”
— ANI (@ANI) November 1, 2026
Among the thousands waiting for the marchers at the Ramlila Maidan was Reena Mahto, a member of the Congress’ student wing, who said four people from her family had been deleted from the voter list due to the false claim that they had moved elsewhere.
She told Reuters the family has long lived in Jagdalpur in the central state of Chhattisgarh, but “now all of a sudden we have been marked as shifted from our own house,” adding, “There should be accountability, and we are here to seek that.”
The change to voter rolls removed over 130 million names — more than the population of Japan.
🚨 INDIA BLOC UNITED FOR DEMOCRACY!
Opposition leaders along with Rahul Gandhi and lakhs of supporters march in Delhi against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The message is clear: Protect the Constitution, safeguard every vote and demand accountability! https://t.co/MkHqYZuULk
— PERSEVERANCE 🇮🇳 (@GauravS96770358) November 1, 2026
BJP Accused of Undermining Democracy
Opposition parties allege the deletions disproportionately affected Muslim voters and other minorities, who are unlikely to support the BJP.
The Election Commission has denied favouring any party and said wrongly deleted voters can re-enrol, while opposition parties accused the ruling BJP of trying to undermine democracy.
People have gathered in large numbers at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi to join INDIA Bloc’s Chalo Delhi rally against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and SIR
LIVE updates: https://t.co/IDovxf0tEg https://t.co/hNARpQffsj
— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) November 1, 2026
Dinesh Singh said he was joining the protest for the sake of his children’s future.
“I am not affiliated with any political party,” he said. “I am here for a cause. I want the children to remember that we fought for their future.”
The demonstration is the latest in a series of near-daily protests that opposition parties, student organisations and the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party have held since late September demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The protests erupted after the Indian Express newspaper reported that Kumar’s two deputies had raised several concerns internally about voter list revisions, registration procedures and digital systems.
