India
oi-Swastika Sruti
President of Congress party Mallikarjun Kharge will organize yet another lunch meet for MPs of the INDIA bloc at Delhi on Thursday, October 8, ahead of the next series of protest demonstrations calling upon the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Ahead of protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will host an INDIA bloc MPs’ lunch in Delhi on Thursday, October 8, attended by Mamata Banerjee.
The meet will be held at about 1:45 pm in Moets, Connaught Place, and will feature Mamata Banerjee, former Chief Minister of West Bengal and chief of Trinamool Congress, among others. This comes a day after the Opposition MPs organized a strategy lunch prior to their march towards Jantar Mantar for the protest.
This move by the opposition comes two days after clashes between Delhi Police and Opposition MPs in connection with the allegations of fraud in the election process and SIR of voter list.
Mamata Banerjee To Join Opposition Lunch
President of Congress party Mallikarjun Kharge will organize yet another lunch meet for MPs of the INDIA bloc at Delhi on Thursday, October 8, ahead of the next series of protest demonstrations calling upon the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The meet will be held at about 1:45 pm in Moets, Connaught Place, and will feature Mamata Banerjee, former Chief Minister of West Bengal and chief of Trinamool Congress, among others. This comes a day after the Opposition MPs organized a strategy lunch prior to their march towards Jantar Mantar for the protest.
This move by the opposition comes two days after clashes between Delhi Police and Opposition MPs in connection with the allegations of fraud in the election process and SIR of voter list.
Second Lunch Meeting In Two Days
Kharge had hosted Opposition MPs for lunch on Wednesday at Sagar Ratna on Janpath before the lawmakers travelled towards Jantar Mantar.
The lunch was followed by a dramatic attempt by Opposition MPs to reach the protest site. Three buses carrying the lawmakers were stopped near the Janpath-Ashoka Road intersection, after which several leaders got off the buses and staged a sit-in. Multiple Opposition leaders were later detained.
The previous meeting also exposed some coordination challenges within the INDIA bloc. The Samajwadi Party did not attend Wednesday’s lunch, with reports citing short notice and communication issues.
Thursday’s meeting will therefore be closely watched for signs of greater coordination among the Opposition parties.
Security Tightened Ahead Of Bigger Protest
Security has been intensified in central Delhi as the Opposition plans another protest against Gyanesh Kumar.
The INDIA bloc has indicated that Thursday’s mobilisation could be larger than the previous day’s protest. Delhi Police have increased deployment around key areas, including routes leading towards Jantar Mantar and the Parliament area.
The protest comes after Congress declared October 8 a “Black Day for Indian democracy” and called for demonstrations at the state, district and block levels across the country.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said the nationwide protests were being organised following the police action and detention of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other leaders during Wednesday’s protest. The party has alleged that its leaders were manhandled and injured, claims that form part of the continuing political confrontation over the Election Commission.
Opposition Strategy Under Focus
The immediate focus of Thursday’s lunch will be the Opposition’s next move against the Election Commission and the demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
After the previous day’s protest ended with multiple detentions, the INDIA bloc is now attempting to maintain pressure while coordinating its next round of demonstrations.
With Mamata Banerjee joining the meeting and another protest planned, Thursday could prove important for determining whether the Opposition can present a more coordinated front in its campaign against the Election Commission.
