New Delhi: Tensions escalated across the national capital as leaders of the INDIA bloc and thousands of party workers launched a high-profile 'Delhi Chalo' march to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Protesters gathered in large numbers near Mandi House, Himachal Bhavan, and the Constitution Club, raising slogans and attempting to march toward the Supreme Court.

The demonstrations drew prominent figures, including Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Trinamool Congress leaders such as Mamata Banerjee, Mahua Moitra, and Abhishek Banerjee. Demonstrators sat on roads around Mandi House Circle, causing significant traffic disruptions, while participants shouted slogans accusing authorities of undermining voting rights.

The mobilisation followed the refusal of Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant to grant an appointment to Rahul Gandhi, noting that multiple petitions addressing the same electoral concerns were already pending before the apex court. Consequently, opposition leaders gathered at the Constitution Club to coordinate alternate legal strategies to petition the Supreme Court directly.

In response to the demonstrations, Delhi Police enforced Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita to restrict public gatherings, deploying heavy security details including paramilitary personnel from the CRPF and ITBP. Concurrently, the Ministry of Home Affairs denotified Jantar Mantar as a designated demonstration site, shifting official protest permissions to alternative venues such as Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground, and Shahdara Ground.

Simultaneously, the political fallout extended beyond the election body dispute as the Bharatiya Janata Party mounted a sharp counter-offensive against Rahul Gandhi. The ruling party criticised Gandhi over analogies he invoked regarding Lord Shiva's dance and procession in relation to the ongoing protests, accusing him of making anti-Hindu remarks.

Adding to the political friction, BJP workers and women Members of Parliament staged separate demonstrations outside the Congress headquarters. These protesters demanded the immediate sacking and expulsion of an accused Congress parliamentarian following sexual harassment allegations and findings by a Jawaharlal Nehru University internal inquiry committee.