Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata
Kolkata, Oct 29: Former West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Thursday extended her support to the INDIA bloc’s November 1 ‘Chalo Dilli’ march against alleged electoral irregularities, urging students, young people, women, workers and members of civil society to join the protest at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi.
In a post on X, Banerjee said the opposition alliance would stand united at the gathering, scheduled to begin at 12.30 pm on Sunday. She alleged that concerns over voting in West Bengal and other states needed to be addressed, describing the campaign against alleged “vote chori” as a fight to protect citizens’ democratic rights.
“On Sunday, 1 November, INDIA will stand united at Ramlila Maidan. The fight against Vote Chori is a fight to protect every Indian’s right to choose. The Vote Loot in Bengal and across other states demand answers, not silence!” Banerjee wrote.
She questioned several aspects of the electoral process, including the scrutiny of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the integrity of voter data, the accuracy of electoral rolls and the counting of votes. Calling for wider public participation, she said citizens should come forward to defend democratic institutions and the Constitution.
“EVMs under scrutiny – Voter data under question – Electoral rolls under suspicion – Counting under challenge. I appeal to students, youth, women, workers and civil society to join us in this fight,” she said.
“When the vote is under threat, silence is not an option. Let us stand together to DEFEND our DEMOCRACY and SAVE our CONSTITUTION,” she added.
The rally is part of the Congress-led INDIA bloc’s campaign against what opposition parties describe as irregularities in the electoral process, particularly the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition leaders have alleged that the revision exercise raises concerns about eligible voters being excluded from electoral lists and have demanded accountability from the poll body. These allegations are contested political claims and do not, by themselves, establish that votes have been stolen.
Banerjee’s support comes amid efforts by opposition parties to mobilise supporters from across the country for the Delhi gathering. According to a report by The Times of India on Thursday, Banerjee was likely to travel to Delhi on Saturday to attend the rally, potentially accompanied by Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. The report also said the Congress leadership had contacted her about participating in the opposition campaign. Her attendance was reported as likely, rather than formally confirmed.
Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also renewed his appeal on Thursday, urging citizens and student organisations to join the march regardless of their political affiliations. He described the event as a collective effort to protect democracy and the Constitution rather than a programme limited to any one political party.
“Don't worry about the police, don't worry about lathis – the BJP will not have the guts to try any of their antics. Come march with us – we will walk together to protect the Constitution, to protect the Indian nation,” Gandhi said in his message.
He appealed particularly to students who felt that their freedom of expression, ideas or ways of thinking were under threat, asking them to participate in the protest. Gandhi said the march was intended to bring together people concerned about democratic rights and constitutional safeguards.
The opposition’s programme also includes a proposed mock parliamentary proceeding against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Opposition leaders had planned the exercise as a symbolic protest over their allegations concerning the conduct of the Election Commission and the SIR process. The alliance has demanded Kumar’s removal, accusing the poll body of failing to address its concerns.
The November 1 rally is expected to be a major mobilisation by the INDIA bloc, with the Congress seeking participation from its state units and partner parties. The organisers have set an ambitious target of drawing a large crowd to Ramlila Maidan.
Delhi Police has granted a no-objection certificate for the rally, subject to specified conditions on security, crowd management, traffic arrangements and the use of the venue. According to reports, the gathering must conclude by 5 pm, and organisers have been directed to make arrangements for surveillance, drinking water, toilets and volunteers. Police have also said that permission for the rally has not been withdrawn.
With Banerjee joining Gandhi in appealing for public participation, the opposition alliance is seeking to build a united campaign around electoral transparency and voting rights. The rally is scheduled for Sunday, November 1, at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi.