INDIA bloc takes election chief resignation campaign to Supreme Court

The INDIA bloc's campaign centres on allegations of electoral misconduct and demands that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign. Opposition parties say revisions to eligible voter lists favour Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party, according to NPR. Those accusations remain allegations in the supplied coverage.

The Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, has become a central target. The opposition wants the exercise suspended and is challenging alleged irregularities in how voter names were removed, according to Times now and India News.

An early attempt to meet the Election Commission also became a point of dispute. On October 7, Livemint reported that the poll panel described the proposed venue and manner of seeking the meeting as unusual under its established protocol.

On October 7, opposition leaders were seeking an appointment with President Droupadi Murmu. They had agreed to reduce their proposed delegation from 15 members to 10 but had not yet secured the meeting, The Hindu reported.

On October 8, the third day of protests, leaders went to Rajghat and said their campaign would continue. The Hindu also reported a gathering of opposition parties at a lunch hosted by Congress president Kharge. Reports differed on the number of FIRs: Scroll.in reported at least three against Rahul Gandhi over alleged assault on police personnel and obstruction, while Times of India reported four against Rahul and Priyanka.

On October 9, INDIA bloc leaders submitted a memorandum to Murmu demanding Kumar's resignation and suspension of SIR, according to Times now. Rahul Gandhi subsequently said the President had sought evidence of 'vote chori', or vote theft, Mangalorean.com reported. His account of her response was disputed: Times of India reported that his claim she accepted the vote theft allegation was incorrect.

By October 11, the campaign had spread to demonstrations in Mumbai and Pune. The Hindu reported detentions near Shivaji Park, including allegations that people merely standing or walking nearby were taken into custody. Indian Express reported 80 detentions in Pune over a protest described as illegal.

Also on October 11, Chief Justice Surya Kant declined the opposition's request for a meeting ahead of its planned Supreme Court march. According to sources cited by NDTV, he said the court's role was to hear petitions and deliver verdicts, not meet political delegations administratively.

On October 12, opposition leaders marched to the Supreme Court following a weekend in which thousands of protesters were detained in Delhi, BBC News reported. Rahul Gandhi and 10 other INDIA bloc leaders filed a joint petition naming the Election Commission as a respondent, according to Times of India. The Hindu reported that Rahul and Kharge visited the court registry.

The campaign now combines street protests with a court challenge. The petition seeks a stay on SIR and restoration of deleted voter names, according to India News. Other requested remedies include disclosure of Election Commission files and an audit panel, Times of India reported.

On October 13, the alliance held its first joint press conference since the nationwide protests began and said demonstrations would continue until Kumar resigned, according to Scroll.in. The supplied coverage reports no court ruling on the petition.

There is a discrepancy in the march's timing. Several October 12 reports place the Supreme Court march on Monday, while an October 13 report from Times now describes a Tuesday march coinciding with the petition filing. The coverage does not establish whether that account describes a separate march.

The immediate question is how the Supreme Court handles the petition and its requests for relief over SIR. Times now reported on October 12 that a hearing was likely the following day, but the supplied coverage does not confirm that it took place.

The other open question is how the continuing demonstrations are handled. The alliance's pledge to keep protesting, reported by Scroll.in, follows police detentions in several cities and criminal complaints linked to the earlier Delhi protests.