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Peek TV | October 7, 2026
Referee Under Seige: The March That Put Trust On Trial
The Fact: Amid a series of nationwide campaigns against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, over 200 Opposition MPs marched from Parliament towards the Election Commission headquarters, protesting alleged “vote theft” and demanding the CEC’s resignation. High drama unfolded as police stopped the march and detained several leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Akhilesh Yadav. Several leaders were taken away in buses as they tried to reach the poll panel’s office.
The Context: The protest is part of a larger campaign by the INDIA bloc, with district-level “Save Democracy” marches and other protests planned across the country. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had announced that the bloc would hold a larger rally in Delhi on November 1. The campaign is significant as parties that have repeatedly differed over seat-sharing and other political issues have come together over the Election Commission’s handling of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The BJD also joined Tuesday’s protest, with its leaders Manas Mangraj and Sulata Deo participating. However, one major omission was the Aam Aadmi Party. AAP stayed away from Tuesday’s march and has maintained that it is pursuing the electoral-roll issue separately.
The Peek Insight: When political parties that often disagree on elections and seat-sharing come together over the credibility of the electoral process, the concern can’t be dismissed as just another political gimmick. Tuesday's protest brought that concern into focus: Opposition MPs marched to the Election Commission but were stopped and detained. The poll body is accountable to voters, but its credibility also depends on the confidence of the participating political parties. With a large part of the Opposition now publicly questioning the poll panel, the question is no longer about the CEC alone- it is about whether the Election Commission is still seen as an institution that all political players can approach.
