Protests targeting both the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar have taken hold in New Delhi, bringing the Congress-led INDIA bloc and the Aam Aadmi Party onto the streets through separate channels, though the grievances animating each group follow a recognisably similar thread.

On Monday, figures from the Congress leadership — Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and party president Mallikarjun Kharge — joined a march to the Supreme Court alongside delegates drawn from several INDIA bloc partners, with the Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Nationalist Congress Party, and the Left parties all counted among those represented. At the Constitution Club, a pre-march planning session brought the leaders together before the procession set off along Barakhamba Road toward the Supreme Court.

A delegation of Opposition leaders put forward a request to meet with Chief Justice Surya Kant, aiming to place before him their concerns about the conduct of elections, questions over procedural irregularities, and the functioning of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Chief Justice pointed to active Supreme Court petitions on related matters as the basis for not receiving the delegation.

With the procession running beyond its scheduled duration, a petition covering 11 party leaders drawn from 10 different political organisations was lodged in court by advocate S. Prasanna. Documents sought through the filing would cover any instances where the Chief Election Commissioner and the two Election Commissioners held differing views on matters before them. Among the information being sought are the particulars of a gathering convened to revise voter registration Form 6 — including what proposals were put forward and who held authority over the final outcome.

Among the additional remedies sought in the petition is a suspension of the SIR process, to remain in place while the cases move through the courts. The Chief Justice reportedly directed court registry staff to move through the administrative and procedural steps tied to the petition without delay, so the matter could be scheduled for a hearing.

A social media post from the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee drew attention after it raised questions about the Chief Justice's stance on the Delhi protests and related public-order measures. The online post called on the official to step down immediately if maintaining public order fell outside the boundaries of their responsibilities. Party officials in Delhi moved to separate themselves from the content of the post, with Kerala Congress taking it down shortly after public objections arose.

Those comments drew a reply from Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, who characterised certain groups as working against national interests and asserted that those who hold patriotic views would come together in opposition. The courts, he added, would represent the group's next area of focus. Judicial bodies have traditionally operated at a remove from the policy agendas of governing parties and their electoral rivals alike.

Following the Chief Justice's decision not to receive the INDIA bloc delegation, Rahul Gandhi took to the podium at Congress headquarters for a press conference. His contention was that Delhi had been converted into a fortified zone, with residents and visitors barred from entry and both bus and rail connections brought to a halt. In remarks delivered at the event, Gandhi conveyed that those found to be undermining democratic institutions would be held accountable under the law.

Pushback from the BJP centred on several of his statements, among them a passage in which he likened the Opposition's procession to a wedding party associated with Lord Shiva. The party responded by broadening its pushback against the demonstrations, drawing them into a larger political dispute.

During the four-day window stretching from 6 to 9 October, AAP kept its distance from the rallies and gatherings that Congress was organising. Among the actions taken were a sit-in staged by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi at Akashvani Bhawan, opposition gatherings that Mallikarjun Kharge brought together, and a procession directed toward Rashtrapati Bhavan. The AAP held its own gatherings and also took part in a demonstration that the Janta Party had convened for 10 October.

Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP leader, joined protesters on the ground after CJP head Abhijeet Deepke was taken into custody during the demonstration. Reporters covering the 10 October CJP demonstration noted that AAP sent representatives to take part, whereas Congress figures were absent from the gathering.

Observers have tied the rift to electoral rivalry between Congress and the AAP, with Punjab — where voters are set to go to the polls next year — drawing particular attention as a flashpoint. The two organisations compete for votes within the same state, each working to draw support away from the other. Rivalry between the parties extends to Delhi, Gujarat, and Haryana as well.

A number of parties within the INDIA bloc — among them the Samajwadi Party, the TMC, the RJD, and the Left parties — took part in demonstrations that both formations had called. BJP leaders posed questions about the frequency with which certain Opposition figures have been appearing at various protest locations.

What began as demonstrations over the SIR and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has widened into a broader political contest, with Opposition parties mounting a direct challenge to the ruling establishment while the BJP has launched a campaign of its own in response. The INDIA bloc — guided by Congress — moved collectively through street protests and court filings, whereas the AAP opted to operate along an independent path.