Opposition MPs stage sit-in at Jantar Mantar over election commission row

Opposition Members of Parliament from the INDIA bloc converged at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday afternoon following a solidarity lunch hosted by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at a Janpath restaurant. The coordinated action marked the latest phase of their intensifying campaign against the election commission, a day after staging an eight-hour dharna to demand discussions with senior electoral officials.

The opposition parties sought to use the designated protest site to press their grievances regarding what they characterized as "vote chori," or electoral malpractice. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi told reporters that the bloc viewed Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as lacking legitimacy in his role, signaling the severity of their concerns about electoral integrity.

Opposition MPs emphasized their united stance against what they described as government overreach and violations of citizens' democratic rights. Party representatives indicated the demonstrations would continue as part of a broader campaign to mobilize public support around issues of electoral fairness and democratic safeguards, framing their actions as a defense of constitutional protections.