Rahul Gandhi Leads Opposition March to Supreme Court Over Election Chief

India's opposition leaders, led by Rahul Gandhi, marched toward the Supreme Court in New Delhi on October 12, 2026, demanding scrutiny of the Election Commission's voter registration revisions and calling for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign. Police barricades blocked demonstrators from approaching the court, while opposition representatives confirmed that a petition seeking an independent investigation had been filed.

According to The Hindu, the petition requests an independent committee to examine the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the Election Commission of India's decision-making process. The petitioners also seek a review of online voter registration procedures and services, including the ECINet portal.

The filing names Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi among the respondents. Other petitioners include Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and several other opposition figures. The Supreme Court website recorded the filing at 4:37 p.m.

The march took place amid a security deployment of more than 30,000 police officers across the capital, according to Al Jazeera. Police erected multiple barricades, and several metro stations in central Delhi were closed, while demonstrators attempted to advance toward the court.

Gandhi had sought to meet Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on October 12. The Hindu reported that the chief justice declined the meeting request on October 11 but said litigants could submit petitions through the Supreme Court Registry by 4:30 p.m. on any day.

Gandhi accused the government of using the Election Commission to undermine electoral fairness. Addressing Kumar directly before the march, he said:

"You have committed a crime, and you are not the main criminal. You made a mistake, and you are not the mind behind the mistake. We are after the people who are behind what you did.

It is very easy for you, resign and get out of the way. We know that you have been forced by the Prime Minister, Amit Shah, Ajit Doval," Rahul Gandhi said, according to The Times of India.

Gandhi also alleged that about 200 government officials were communicating with opposition representatives and sharing information. He cited officials from the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Ministry of External Affairs, although the source did not independently verify the claim.

The dispute centers on the Election Commission's revision of voter lists, which began in June 2025, according to Al Jazeera. More than 130 million names have since been removed, a figure also reported by The Guardian. Opposition parties and civil society groups contend that the deletions have disproportionately affected Muslims and other vulnerable communities and could weaken their voting rights.

The Election Commission has denied favoring any political party and has said voters whose names were wrongly removed can register again. The Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has rejected allegations that the electoral process was manipulated for its benefit.

The controversy intensified after The Indian Express reported irregularities in the revision process. Opposition parties have since increased pressure on Kumar, while protests led by young activists and student groups have expanded the campaign beyond established political organizations.

At the march, opposition leaders were joined by student activists and supporters of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party movement, which previously campaigned against Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The Guardian reported that the movement's leaders approached Delhi police on October 12 to request permission for a protest, warning that demonstrations could resume if their request was rejected.