INDIA bloc’s virtual meeting on ‘vote chori’ protests deferred

INDIA bloc leaders were to brainstorm on charting out roadmap of protests, review preparations for November 1 rally and discuss ways to corner government over 'vote chori' issue soon during the meeting.

New Delhi: The proposed virtual meeting of the INDIA Bloc on the future course of action on protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has been deferred, sources said.

The meeting was to be held on Thursday evening to deliberate on the roadmap for protests over the “vote chori” issue and on ways to press for the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation, the sources added.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was to chair the meeting, which will also review the preparations for the INDIA bloc’s rally in Delhi on November 1, they said.

The INDIA bloc leaders were to brainstorm on charting out the roadmap of protests, review the preparations for the November 1 rally and discuss ways to corner the government over the ‘vote chori’ issue soon during the meeting.

There was no intimation about the next meeting of the grouping.

The meeting also assumes significance as it comes at a time when there is speculation over the government convening Parliament for passing a Constitution amendment bill, involving delimitation, for the early implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act.

Last week, the protests over the “vote theft” charge reached the Supreme Court’s doorstep.

On October 12, opposition stalwarts, joined by activists and civil society members, took part in a “March for Democracy” along a heavily barricaded route and filed a joint petition against Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging poll irregularities, in a major show of strength in the national capital.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also hosted INDIA bloc leaders for tea at his home on October 13. After the meeting, the opposition bloc vowed to continue resisting and take the “vote chori” fight to its logical conclusion.