Politics · India Bureau
Opposition bloc plans march to poll body, demands return to ballot papers
India's main opposition alliance has announced a coordinated campaign against electronic voting machines, planning a series of demonstrations across the country and a parliamentary march to the Election Commission on October 6.
LSN India ·
The INDIA bloc finalized a joint action plan on Wednesday following a three-and-a-half-hour meeting of senior opposition leaders, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asserting unified support for reverting to ballot paper-based elections.
The meeting brought together key figures including former Congress chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Rashtriya Janata Dal's Tejashwi Yadav, and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) MP Supriya Sule.
According to Kharge, the opposition parties will launch "save democracy" marches from October 2 to 8, with demonstrations planned outside district magistrate offices across the country to mobilize public support. The campaign will involve youth groups and non-governmental organizations in an effort to broaden the movement's reach.
The centerpiece of the opposition strategy will be a coordinated march by all opposition MPs to the Election Commission headquarters on October 6. The campaign represents a significant show of unity among disparate opposition parties on the electoral systems debate, marking an escalation in their challenge to the current voting methodology.