In a post on X, Gandhi said the demonstration could end within “30 seconds” if Modi removed Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar from his post.
The Congress leader has repeatedly targeted Kumar over the Election Commission’s handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and other alleged irregularities.
The rally forms part of the Opposition INDIA bloc’s campaign against what it calls “vote chori”, with the alliance demanding accountability from the Election Commission.
Rahul Gandhi’s message to traders
Responding to concerns from Delhi’s business community, Gandhi said traders could secure an immediate end to the protest by asking the Prime Minister to sack Kumar.
“Tell Modi to sack accused no. 4, Gyanesh Kumar, and the protests will stop in 30 seconds,” Gandhi wrote in Hindi on X.
In the same post, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha expressed sympathy for traders but blamed the government for the disruption caused by the political mobilisation.
“To every trader in Delhi: We love you and hear you. The government shut the metro, sealed our roads and locked down our capital. With a stolen vote, nothing is safe - your shop, your savings, your children's future,” Gandhi wrote.
The Congress leader’s remarks came after the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) appealed to him to defer the rally until after the festive shopping period, citing concerns about the potential impact on businesses across the capital.
Traders warn of festive business losses
In a letter to Gandhi, CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal urged the Opposition INDIA bloc to postpone the November 1 demonstration until after November 10.
Goyal warned that a large political gathering at Ramlila Maidan immediately before the festive peak could disrupt commercial activity worth Rs 10,000 crore across Delhi.
He pointed out that the venue is close to several major wholesale and retail markets in Old Delhi, which typically experience a surge in customers in the days leading up to the festive season.
The dates are particularly significant for traders, with Dhanteras falling on November 6, Diwali on November 8 and Bhai Dooj on November 10.
According to Goyal’s letter, Delhi’s markets record turnover of approximately Rs 25,000 crore around Dhanteras alone.
The business activity spans several sectors, including gold and silver, electronics and automobiles.
The CTI chairman’s appeal sought to protect peak-season trade by moving the protest to a date after the major festivals.
Gandhi, however, rejected the request and reiterated the Opposition’s demand for action against the chief election commissioner.
Opposition campaign targets EC
The November 1 rally is part of a broader campaign by the INDIA bloc against the Election Commission, with Opposition leaders demanding Kumar’s resignation over the handling of the SIR exercise and other decisions attributed to the poll body.
Opposition leaders have also alleged that Kumar took certain decisions unilaterally, despite objections reportedly recorded by the two other election commissioners.
These allegations form part of the Opposition’s wider criticism of the commission’s functioning.
The SIR exercise has emerged as a central point of contention between the Opposition and the poll body, with Congress leaders questioning its implementation and raising concerns over the electoral process.
The Opposition has framed its campaign around the allegation of “vote chori”, arguing that questions surrounding electoral rolls and the commission’s decisions require political and institutional accountability.
INDIA bloc leaders intensify protest
On October 12, Opposition leaders and activists marched along heavily barricaded arterial roads in Delhi before submitting a petition to the Supreme Court challenging the SIR exercise.
The march formed part of the alliance’s continuing campaign against the election-related process and the decisions taken by the Election Commission.
A day later, Gandhi hosted leaders of the INDIA bloc for tea at his residence in Delhi. Following the meeting, the alliance announced that it would continue its campaign against what it describes as “vote chori”.
The planned Ramlila Maidan rally is the next major mobilisation in that campaign, even as traders have raised concerns about the timing and its possible consequences for business during one of the busiest shopping periods of the year.