‘The entire country is coming to Delhi’: INDIA bloc mobilises supporters from across states for Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chalo Dilli’ march
NEW DELHI, November 1: Delhi is witnessing a major political mobilisation as supporters of the INDIA bloc travel from different states to join Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chalo Dilli’ march and the opposition’s rally at Ramlila Maidan today. With reports of supporters arriving overnight by train and party workers pouring into the capital, the opposition is seeking to turn its campaign against alleged ‘vote chori’ into a nationwide show of public resistance.
This is the story to watch today: not simply another opposition rally, but an attempt to bring people from across the country to the national capital around a common demand for electoral accountability.
Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal captured the scale of the mobilisation with his declaration: “The entire country is coming to Delhi tomorrow.”
The Congress has claimed that thousands of supporters have already reached Delhi, with large contingents travelling from Uttar Pradesh and other states. Reports on Saturday indicated that more than 25,000 supporters from Uttar Pradesh had reached the capital, while the state unit was expecting over one lakh participants. More supporters were expected to arrive through overnight journeys.
The scale of the mobilisation is reflected in the preparations made by state Congress units. In Haryana, party MPs, MLAs and senior functionaries were assigned responsibilities to bring supporters to Delhi. Telangana Congress leaders even staged a protest outside the South Central Railway office in Secunderabad, demanding special trains to transport people to the capital. Hindustan Times+1
Uttar Pradesh has emerged as a major source of mobilisation. UP Congress president Aradhana Mishra said at least 10,000 Congress workers had already reached Delhi by Saturday, with the party expecting around one lakh participants from the state. Hindustan Times
A march that begins at noon
The main ‘Chalo Dilli’ procession is scheduled to begin at 12 noon from the Minto Road–Connaught Place junction, proceeding towards Ramlila Maidan. The rally programme is scheduled to run from 10 am to 5 pm.
The INDIA bloc has projected a turnout approaching one million, while Delhi Police is preparing for approximately 50,000 people. More than 4,000 police personnel, central forces and extensive CCTV surveillance have been deployed. India News+1
More than a political gathering
The opposition’s central demand is accountability over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Rahul Gandhi has appealed to students, farmers, workers, women, young people and civil society organisations to join the movement. His message is that the right to vote, the integrity of electoral rolls and the independence of democratic institutions cannot be treated as partisan concerns.
The INDIA bloc is attempting to demonstrate that the anger over alleged voter deletions extends beyond Parliament and political leadership, reaching ordinary citizens across states.
Today, Ramlila Maidan is the destination. The larger political question is whether this mobilisation can turn the opposition’s ‘Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao’ campaign into a sustained national movement.
Reports of supporters travelling from different states with Telangana demanding for special trains, it is indeed surmised to be a mega march.
JANPATH NEWS NETWORK (JNN)
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