Opposition alliance plans nationwide protests over SIR and Election Commission; Gandhi says INDIA bloc leaders are ‘collective defenders’ of Constitution
New Delhi, Sept 2026 : Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the INDIA bloc would seek accountability from those whom it accuses of undermining Indian democracy, asserting that the Opposition would continue its campaign over alleged electoral irregularities.
Addressing the media after an INDIA bloc meeting at the Constitution Club in New Delhi, Gandhi said the issue of “vote chori” was central to the discussions and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had attacked democratic institutions.
“The main issue was ‘vote chori’. Every party has an opinion that BJP, Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and Gyanesh Kumar have attacked Indian democracy,” Gandhi said.
He said the Opposition leaders had made what he described as a collective commitment to pursue accountability, irrespective of the position or stature of those involved.
“This is a personal commitment of all INDIA leaders — we are going to ensure that the people who have destroyed Indian democracy are punished; it doesn't matter how senior they are, who they are; Indian democracy is bigger than every single person in this country,” he said.
Gandhi also said there was a view among the Opposition leaders that their campaign had succeeded in bringing concerns about electoral processes into public discussion. He claimed that a growing section of citizens, particularly young people, was questioning developments related to elections and democratic institutions.
“There is a new sense of resistance, particularly among young people, that what is happening in India is wrong and needs to be stopped,” Gandhi said.
He described the INDIA bloc leaders as “collective defenders” of the Constitution and said the Opposition parties would work together in the coming months.
“I also mentioned to all the Opposition leaders that they are the collective defenders of the Indian Constitution, and it is an honour for us to work together, and we are confident that over the next few months, we will make serious changes in the country,” he said.
The meeting was convened as Opposition parties sought to finalise a coordinated response to the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and other concerns relating to the conduct of elections. The parties have alleged irregularities in the revision exercise, while the Election Commission and the BJP have rejected the Opposition’s allegations.
The INDIA bloc subsequently announced a programme of joint protests. Opposition leaders said “Save Democracy” marches would be organised from October 2 to 8, with demonstrations planned at district headquarters. Opposition MPs are also scheduled to march to the Election Commission on October 6.
The Congress has demanded the rollback of the SIR exercise and has argued that electoral rolls should protect the voting rights of legitimate voters. The party has also raised demands concerning greater transparency in the functioning of the Election Commission.
The Opposition’s campaign has centred on the phrase “vote chori”, which Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders use to describe what they allege are irregularities in electoral rolls and election processes. The BJP and the Election Commission have disputed these allegations, with BJP leaders accusing the Opposition of seeking to undermine confidence in constitutional institutions.
The latest meeting marks another step in the INDIA bloc’s effort to coordinate its response to the SIR controversy. The alliance is expected to take its campaign to the streets in the coming days, while Opposition leaders continue to press their demands before the Election Commission and other constitutional authorities.
Gandhi, meanwhile, reiterated that the Opposition would continue to work collectively on the issue and emphasised what he described as the primacy of democratic institutions and the Constitution over individual political leaders.
