Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President's official residence in New Delhi, where INDIA bloc MPs plan to march on Friday. Image: Scott Dexter / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).
What's planned for Friday
The INDIA bloc's campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar moves to a new level on Friday, October 9. Opposition MPs are scheduled to gather at 3:00 PM in the Central Hall of the old Parliament building and then march from Parliament House to Rashtrapati Bhavan, where they plan to submit a formal demand for the CEC's removal.
The plan was reported by NDTV and Times Now on Thursday evening, citing opposition sources. It marks the fourth day of an escalating protest campaign that has already seen mass detentions near Jantar Mantar, a sit-in at Rajghat, and clashes between Congress and BJP workers at Connaught Place.
While all INDIA bloc MPs are expected to join the march, a smaller delegation of 10 senior leaders will seek a direct meeting with President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The opposition hopes to press its case against the Election Commission before the country's highest constitutional office.
The 10-member delegation
The delegation list submitted to Rashtrapati Bhavan includes some of the opposition's biggest names: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. NDTV also reported that Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is likely to be part of the group.
Getting to 10 wasn't straightforward. According to NDTV, the alliance originally sought permission for a 24-leader delegation. Rashtrapati Bhavan asked the opposition to trim the list, first scaling it to 15, before finally capping the meeting at 10 leaders. The negotiation itself shows how seriously both sides are treating Friday's engagement.
Mamata Banerjee's presence would be notable. The Trinamool Congress chief has travelled to Delhi at the INDIA bloc's request, and her joining a march to the President's residence would signal that the campaign has moved beyond a Congress-only affair.
President Droupadi Murmu. A 10-member INDIA bloc delegation is seeking a meeting with her at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday. Image: President's Secretariat / Wikimedia Commons (Government Open Data License – India).
Appointment status still unclear
Here's where Thursday evening's reporting got murky. Several outlets disagreed on whether the meeting is actually confirmed.
NDTV reported that 10 INDIA bloc leaders had been given permission to meet the President on Friday, and Dynamite News reported that the meeting was scheduled for 10 AM at Rashtrapati Bhavan. But Times Now said the opposition was still awaiting a response from the President on the proposed meeting, and ABP Live reported that the opposition had yet to secure an appointment at all. NDTV's own evening update noted that the exact time slot was still to be confirmed.
The honest picture: the opposition has submitted its 10-name delegation list and expects a Friday meeting, but as of Thursday night there was no single confirmed appointment time from Rashtrapati Bhavan. That gap matters, because the entire Friday march is built around the assumption of being received at the top.
The SIR row driving the protests
The protests are rooted in the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which the opposition alleges is being used to delete legitimate voters. The controversy sharpened after a media report claimed that two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over 10 months to decisions and orders, some of which they said were issued without their knowledge.
The Election Commission has pushed back, saying the three-member poll panel took all decisions, including those concerning the SIR, unanimously.
Rahul Gandhi has gone further than procedural criticism. In a Congress social media post quoted by ABP Live, he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and CEC Gyanesh Kumar of being involved in an alleged "criminal conspiracy" to "hijack" the country. The allegation is unproven and strongly denied by the government side; it is reported here as Gandhi's claim, not as established fact.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, speaking during Thursday's protests, alleged that efforts were underway to strip poor, Dalit, Adivasi and minority communities of their voting rights — again, an opposition allegation rather than a confirmed finding.
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Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, who has asked Congress MPs to ensure full attendance at the protests. Image: Prime Minister's Office / Wikimedia Commons (Government Open Data License – India).
Thursday's Rajghat backdrop
Friday's march follows a dramatic Thursday. After a lunch meeting hosted by Kharge at Moet's in Connaught Place, INDIA bloc MPs marched to Rajghat and staged a sit-in at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial — a development GlobalDeskNews covered earlier today.
The third day of protests also saw clashes between Congress and BJP workers at Connaught Place, and the day began with news that Delhi Police had filed a misconduct case against Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and others over Wednesday's confrontation — reported in our day-3 coverage. Wednesday's detentions near Jantar Mantar, when police stopped INDIA-bloc buses about a kilometre from the protest venue, were covered here.
Delhi remains on edge. The excise department has ordered all liquor shops shut on October 9 and 10 as a preventive measure, as reported earlier, and thousands of police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in the capital.
Parliament House, New Delhi. INDIA bloc MPs have been asked to assemble in the Central Hall of the old Parliament building at 3 PM on Friday before marching to Rashtrapati Bhavan. Image: Nikhilb239 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
BJP hits back
The BJP has dismissed the street campaign. Party leader Pradeep Bhandari questioned why Gandhi was taking the issue to the streets when the matter is before the Supreme Court, arguing that judicial matters cannot be settled through street demonstrations. He also pointed to a letter signed by more than 40 former judges on the issue and asked whether Gandhi had faith in the court.
Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, has tightened discipline within his own ranks. ABP Live reported that he instructed Congress general secretary KC Venugopal to ensure the presence of all MPs at the demonstrations, with a list being prepared of who attended over the past two days and who stayed away. Leaders who skip without a satisfactory explanation could face show-cause notices.
The Aam Aadmi Party announced its own separate demonstration in Lucknow on Friday at 2 PM, demanding Gyanesh Kumar's resignation — a sign the CEC row is spreading beyond Delhi.
Why it matters
A march on Rashtrapati Bhavan is a significant escalation. Opposition protests against an election commission chief are rare enough; taking the campaign to the President's doorstep — and asking the head of state to intervene in a dispute with a constitutional body — raises the stakes for everyone involved.
For the opposition, Friday is a test of unity and numbers. A large, disciplined march with leaders like Mamata Banerjee and Tejashwi Yadav alongside Congress's top brass would project a united front. A thin turnout, or a refusal of the appointment, would hand the BJP an easy talking point.
For the government, the calculation is different. The SIR issue is now before the Supreme Court, and the BJP's line is that street pressure cannot override judicial process. But images of hundreds of MPs marching on the presidency are hard to ignore, whatever the legal position.
What happens next
Friday will be a crowded day in Delhi. The key questions: will Rashtrapati Bhavan confirm the appointment and the time? Will the 3 PM march from Parliament House go ahead as planned? And will the delegation actually be received by President Murmu?
The Delhi High Court is also expected to take up the Indian Youth Congress's plea challenging the police order that denied permission to protest at Jantar Mantar. A ruling in the opposition's favour could reshape where Friday's demonstrations are allowed.
GlobalDeskNews will track the march, the delegation meeting, and the court's decision through the day.
Key Takeaways
- INDIA bloc MPs plan to gather at 3 PM in Central Hall on Friday and march from Parliament House to Rashtrapati Bhavan.
- A 10-member delegation — Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Tejashwi Yadav and others — seeks a meeting with President Murmu.
- Reports conflicted Thursday evening on whether the appointment is confirmed; the time slot was still unconfirmed.
- The protest targets CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the SIR electoral-rolls revision; the EC says all decisions were unanimous.
- Rahul Gandhi has ordered full MP attendance, with show-cause notices possible for absentees.
- The Delhi High Court takes up the Jantar Mantar protest-ban plea on Friday.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the INDIA bloc marching to Rashtrapati Bhavan?
On Friday, October 9, 2026. Opposition MPs have been asked to assemble at 3:00 PM in the Central Hall of the old Parliament building, then march from Parliament House to Rashtrapati Bhavan to submit a demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's removal.
Who is in the 10-member delegation meeting President Murmu?
The delegation list includes Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also likely. Rashtrapati Bhavan asked the alliance to reduce its delegation, which was capped at 10.
Is the meeting with President Murmu confirmed?
Not definitively. NDTV and Dynamite News reported a Friday appointment, with one report citing a 10 AM slot. But Times Now and ABP Live said the opposition was still awaiting a response from the President on Thursday evening. The exact time slot remained unconfirmed as of Thursday night.
What is the SIR row about?
SIR stands for Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The opposition alleges the Election Commission is using the exercise to delete legitimate voters and has demanded CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. The poll panel says all its decisions, including those on the SIR, were taken unanimously by its three members.
What happened on Thursday, the third day of protests?
INDIA bloc MPs had lunch at Moet's in Connaught Place, then marched to Rajghat for a sit-in at the Gandhi memorial. Delhi Police had earlier filed a case against Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi over Wednesday's confrontation, and clashes broke out between Congress and BJP workers at Connaught Place.
How has the BJP responded to the protests?
The BJP says the SIR matter is before the Supreme Court and cannot be settled through street demonstrations. Party leader Pradeep Bhandari cited a letter from more than 40 former judges on the issue and accused the Congress of creating disorder under the guise of protest.
Byline: GlobalDeskNews Staff
Sources
- Times Now, "SIR-Ous Storm To Continue Tomorrow As Oppn Plans March To Rashtrapati Bhavan," Oct 8, 2026. Full article
- NDTV, "INDIA Bloc Protest Live Updates: 10 INDIA Bloc Leaders To Meet President Tomorrow," Oct 8, 2026. Live updates
- ABP Live, "Opposition Vs CEC: INDIA Bloc MPs To March To Rashtrapati Bhavan Tomorrow, No Appointment Yet," Oct 8, 2026. Full article
- Dynamite News, "President Murmu Gives INDIA Bloc Appointment Amid Gyanesh Kumar Row," Oct 8, 2026.