The INDIA bloc, which also includes the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and the Communist Party of India (CPI), organised a major demonstration at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on 1 November under the slogan “Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao” (Save the Vote, Save the Country).
CPI(M) and CPI join massive rally for protection of voting rights in India
The rally brought together leaders and supporters of opposition parties from across India, including the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and the Communist Party of India (CPI). It demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the withdrawal of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which has led to the large-scale deletion of eligible voters.
CPI(M) General Secretary M. A. Baby and CPI General Secretary D. Raja took part in the mobilisation alongside Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee and other INDIA bloc representatives. The leaders first gathered at Kharge’s residence and then travelled in open vehicles to the Minto Road–Connaught Place junction, from where they marched towards Ramlila Maidan accompanied by party workers and supporters. The demonstration was also attended by youth and student organisations.
Addressing the rally, Baby described the mobilisation as a “second struggle for independence” to defend the country against what he called the fascist forces of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He said the large gathering represented a collective rejection of the attempts by the government to suppress popular dissent. Warning Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar that their authoritarian methods would not succeed, Baby demanded Kumar’s resignation and prosecution over the alleged electoral manipulation. He also criticised the government’s record on farmers’ livelihoods, recalling Modi’s promise to double farmers’ incomes and arguing that the agrarian crisis had instead deepened.
The CPI(M) leader called for the struggle to continue, presenting the defence of voting rights as part of a wider fight to protect democratic and constitutional freedoms. His remarks echoed the party’s position ahead of the rally. On 30 October, Baby had described the planned mobilisation as a warning to the Modi government and said that the movement would continue until Kumar was removed and prosecuted.
CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Vijoo Krishnan also addressed the massive gathering.
CPI General Secretary D. Raja also placed the rally in the context of the defence of democracy and the people’s right to vote. Before the demonstration, he said that the mobilisation would send a message not only to the government but also to the international community about the opposition’s determination to defend democratic rights. He stressed that the Election Commission must function as an impartial and neutral institution, ensuring free and fair elections and safeguarding every citizen’s right to vote.
The central issue behind the mobilisation was the SIR process, which opposition parties accuse of facilitating the removal of large numbers of names from electoral rolls and potentially excluding eligible citizens from voting. They have demanded that the exercise be scrapped, that voters whose names were wrongly deleted be restored to the rolls, and that Kumar be held accountable. The opposition has also called for changes to the 2023 law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners, arguing that the present framework does not adequately guarantee the institution’s independence.
CPI(M) participation extended beyond its national leadership. According to a statement by the party’s Himachal Pradesh unit, thousands of CPI(M) workers from the state travelled to Delhi for the rally. State secretary Sanjay Chauhan said the demonstration demanded the restoration of voting rights to those whose names had been deleted, withdrawal of the SIR exercise and legal action against the Chief Election Commissioner. He also called for broader electoral reforms to protect democratic rights.
The rally followed a symbolic public impeachment programme held by INDIA bloc leaders on 31 October at Kharge’s residence. The opposition’s campaign is now expected to continue beyond the capital, with leaders urging supporters to take the issue to states facing elections, including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand.