Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu joined senior leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, at the ‘Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao’ mega rally organised at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on Sunday. The Chief Minister was accompanied by a large contingent of Himachal Pradesh Congress workers, ministers, legislators and party office-bearers, underlining the state Congress unit’s participation in the opposition’s nationwide campaign on electoral accountability and the protection of democratic rights.
The rally, held on November 1, witnessed participation from several opposition parties and their supporters. Sukhu, along with other senior leaders, proceeded towards Ramlila Maidan as part of the INDIA bloc’s march. He was also seen with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Kerala Congress leader V.D. Satheesan while the delegation was moving from the Congress headquarters towards the rally venue.
Sharing his message during the mobilisation, Sukhu said that leaders and workers from across the country were coming together with a commitment to safeguard democracy, the Constitution and the voting rights of citizens. He asserted that the country was united against alleged vote theft and that any attack on democratic institutions and people’s electoral rights would not be accepted. The Chief Minister also said that thousands of people from Himachal Pradesh had travelled to Delhi to participate in the rally.
Around 15,000 participants from Himachal Pradesh
The Himachal Congress mobilised a substantial contingent for the event. State Congress organisation general secretary Vinod Zinta claimed that approximately 15,000 people from the state reached Delhi to attend the rally. The mobilisation involved a sizeable transport arrangement, with 201 buses reportedly sent from Himachal Pradesh, including around 30 buses belonging to the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC). The Pradesh Congress Committee also arranged approximately 500 additional vehicles to facilitate the participation of party workers and supporters.
A large section of the Himachal Pradesh Council of Ministers, Congress MLAs, Pradesh Congress Committee functionaries and district Congress committee office-bearers attended the programme. The participation reflected the state unit’s effort to demonstrate organisational strength and solidarity with the INDIA bloc’s national campaign.
Himachal Congress president Vinay Kumar described the rally as the beginning of a wider public movement to defend constitutional values and electoral democracy. He raised concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged that the exercise had deprived more than 13 crore citizens of their voting rights. He also demanded accountability from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. These were allegations made by the Congress leadership and formed part of the opposition’s campaign.
AICC in-charge for Himachal Pradesh Rajni Patil welcomed the large turnout from the state and expressed appreciation for the participation of party workers. She particularly acknowledged the presence of women workers, whose participation, she said, had strengthened the state’s contribution to the national mobilisation.
Rahul Gandhi leads opposition’s charge over alleged ‘vote theft’
The rally was led by Rahul Gandhi, who accused the Election Commission of undermining citizens’ voting rights through the revision of electoral rolls. Addressing the gathering, he said the movement was not merely the voice of political parties or their leaders but represented the concerns of young people, farmers and workers. He asserted that the Constitution and democracy would not be allowed to be weakened.
Rahul Gandhi also demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, making accountability at the Election Commission a central theme of the opposition’s protest. The Congress and its INDIA bloc partners alleged that the SIR process and changes in electoral rolls could lead to the exclusion of genuine voters. The Election Commission, on the other hand, maintains that the revision exercise is intended to remove duplicate and ineligible entries and update voter lists.
Before reaching Ramlila Maidan, Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Mallikarjun Kharge and several other opposition leaders assembled at Kharge’s residence. They then proceeded in open vehicles towards the venue from the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction, accompanied by supporters carrying flags and placards.
Leaders from across INDIA bloc join the campaign
The gathering brought together prominent opposition figures from several states and political parties. Apart from Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee participated in the opposition mobilisation.
Leaders of the Left parties, including CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby, CPI leader D. Raja and CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, were also part of the gathering. Jammu and Kashmir National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti were among the other prominent opposition figures present.
Addressing the rally, Mamata Banerjee called for opposition parties and different sections of society to unite against what she described as electoral manipulation. Akhilesh Yadav said the gathering represented a larger struggle for democratic rights, while RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav invoked the Mahabharata to describe the political battle over alleged electoral irregularities.
The opposition leaders collectively demanded accountability from the Election Commission and raised concerns about the impact of the SIR exercise on the electoral rights of citizens. The rally followed a series of protests and political interventions by INDIA bloc leaders over the revision of voter lists.
Debate over SIR and Election Commission intensifies
The rally was organised against the backdrop of growing political confrontation over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have questioned the manner in which voter-list revisions are being conducted and have alleged that large-scale deletions could affect genuine voters. They have also demanded changes in the process and greater accountability in the functioning of the Election Commission.
The Election Commission has maintained that the exercise is aimed at ensuring accurate electoral rolls by identifying duplicate and ineligible entries, while also providing an opportunity for eligible citizens to enrol or correct their details. The political disagreement over the process has nevertheless become a major point of confrontation between the ruling BJP and opposition parties.
For the Himachal Pradesh Congress, Sukhu’s participation alongside the state party leadership and thousands of workers was an opportunity to underline its alignment with the INDIA bloc’s national campaign. The rally also provided a platform for the state unit to raise its concerns over electoral reforms and constitutional institutions at a national-level gathering.
With the 2027 Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and other political contests approaching, the participation of the Chief Minister and the large state contingent gives the rally added political significance for the Congress organisation in the state.
