INDIA Bloc Protests Electoral Roll Irregularities, Demands CEC Resignation

The INDIA bloc, an alliance of opposition parties, has launched protests concerning alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the Election Commission of India (ECI)'s operations. The alliance is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and a return to paper ballots for elections. On September 30, 2026, the INDIA bloc met in New Delhi to finalize a joint action plan, which included "Save Democracy" marches from October 2 to October 8. On October 6, 2026, opposition Members of Parliament marched towards the ECI headquarters, where they were halted by police and staged a sit-in. On October 9, 2026, INDIA bloc leaders were scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu at 8 pm to press their demands.

The protests stem from an Indian Express report indicating that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally objected multiple times to decisions related to the SIR process. The controversy also involves changes to Form 6, the application for new voter registration, and an additional declaration that appeared on its online version during the SIR. The Supreme Court clarified on October 5, 2026, that it had not approved any modified version of Form 6, despite earlier ECI claims.