Congress Rajya Sabha Member Praveen Chakravarty speaks at a press conference at Sathyamurthy Bhavan in Chennai on Sunday (October 25, 2026). Also seen are AICC in charge of Tamil Nadu Nivedith Alva (left) and AICC observer Balram Naik (second from right). | Photo Credit: M.

Srinath Congress Rajya Sabha Member Praveen Chakravarty said on Sunday (October 25, 2026) that the INDIA bloc constituents would continue their protests until Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resigned. He also urged the people to take part in a protest scheduled for November 1 in New Delhi, demanding his removal.He was addressing journalists at Sathyamurthy Bhavan, the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) headquarters in Chennai.Mr.

Chakravarty said the protests, spearheaded by the INDIA bloc constituents and the Cockroach Janata Party, would be led by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. “The protest is not about the Special Intensive Revision [SIR], not about a State or a party, or who won or who lost. It is about the invaluable voting right of every Indian, which has been taken away,” he said.He added, “We went to the Supreme Court against the SIR, but we didn’t get an order against it.

Mr. Gandhi revealed how in a rural constituency in Karnataka, fake OTPs were being used to manipulate Form 7 and remove voters supportive of the Congress [from the electoral rolls]...

Those voters were brought to New Delhi and made to speak to reporters by Mr. Rahul Gandhi.”He said there were serious concerns over the electoral rolls and the status of democracy itself in India. “We have once again knocked the doors of the Supreme Court.

Our protest will continue as long as Mr. Gyanesh Kumar remains at the helm [of the Election Commission of India],” he said. “The INDIA bloc constituents will support reforms, but only after Mr.

Gyanesh Kumar is removed.”Mr. Chakravarty, All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer Balram Naik, and AICC in charge of Tamil Nadu Nivedith Alva took part at a meeting with the district committee office-bearers at Sathyamurthy Bhavan.

Published - October 25, 2026 08:36 pm IST