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President Murmu to meet INDIA bloc delegation amid escalating Election Commission row. (Img: X)
New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu has given INDIA bloc leaders an appointment at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday morning amid the Opposition’s escalating confrontation over Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. A 10-member delegation is expected to meet the President at 10 am after the Rashtrapati Bhavan asked the Opposition to reduce its proposed delegation from 15 members.
The meeting gives the Opposition a fresh constitutional avenue to raise its concerns after two days of protests and a standoff with Delhi Police over its campaign against the Election Commission.
The INDIA bloc delegation will meet President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday at 10 am, according to sources. The Opposition had sought an appointment with the President to discuss the issues surrounding Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and its allegations concerning the electoral process.
The development comes at a politically sensitive moment, with Opposition MPs intensifying their campaign against the Election Commission and seeking greater scrutiny of the poll panel’s functioning. The President’s decision to meet the delegation provides the Opposition an opportunity to place its concerns before the country’s highest constitutional office.
The INDIA bloc had initially sought permission for a 15-member delegation to meet President Murmu. However, the Rashtrapati Bhavan has asked the Opposition to limit the delegation to 10 members. The Opposition has agreed to the revised number, with the names of the final 10 members being worked out.
Sources said the Rashtrapati Bhavan office has asked Opposition leaders to submit the names of those who will attend the meeting. The final list is expected to include some of the most prominent INDIA bloc leaders.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee are among the leaders expected to be part of the delegation, according to sources.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal had earlier said that the Opposition alliance first wrote to President Murmu on October 2 seeking an appointment. The request came as the INDIA bloc stepped up its campaign over the Election Commission and the CEC Gyanesh Kumar issue.
The Opposition has been seeking to put its concerns before constitutional authorities while simultaneously holding protests in Delhi. The latest appointment is therefore being seen as an important political development after days of confrontation on the streets of the national capital.
The meeting with President Murmu is expected to focus primarily on the Opposition’s concerns regarding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the functioning of the Election Commission.
INDIA bloc leaders have been raising allegations related to electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision exercise. They have demanded greater transparency and accountability from the poll panel and have intensified their political campaign in recent days.
The Election Commission has faced mounting criticism from Opposition parties, while supporters of the poll panel have rejected allegations that question the credibility of the electoral process. The dispute has now moved beyond Parliament and political rallies, with the Opposition seeking to take its case to the President.
The President’s appointment comes after two days of political activity and confrontation involving Opposition MPs and Delhi Police. INDIA bloc leaders had attempted to protest against the Election Commission and raise their concerns over the CEC. Their demonstrations faced restrictions from the police, resulting in a standoff between Opposition MPs and law enforcement authorities.
The Opposition has maintained that it should be allowed to peacefully protest and has continued to press its demands despite the restrictions. The move to meet President Murmu offers the alliance a formal constitutional channel at a time when tensions between the Opposition and the Election Commission remain high.
The 10-member INDIA bloc delegation is expected to finalise its list before meeting President Murmu at 10 am on Friday. Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and Mamata Banerjee are among the prominent names likely to attend, while other members will be decided after consultations within the alliance.
The meeting could become a significant moment in the ongoing political battle over the Election Commission, voter rolls and the role of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
For the Opposition, the focus will now shift from street protests to its representation before the President. The response from the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the next political steps by the INDIA bloc could determine how the confrontation develops in the coming days.
