Rahul Gandhi, who holds the post of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, joined other INDIA bloc leaders in filing a petition before the Supreme Court of India targeting the Election Commission of India. Named as respondents in the petition are the Election Commission of India along with its three sitting members — Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
What the petitioners are seeking through their plea has yet to be made public. Among those who filed petitions were Rahul Gandhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Tejashwi Yadav from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, CPI(M) MP MA Baby, D Raja of the CPI, Mahua Majhi representing the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in parliament, NCP (SCP) MP Supriya Sule, and Mohammed Basheer of the Indian Union Muslim League.
Opposition alliance representatives made their way to the Supreme Court on foot, completing a procession that began in the heart of the capital. Neha Bora, who heads AISA, was among those who took part in the procession, with Rahul Gandhi at its front. Among those who participated were several notable opposition figures — Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, and Supriya Sule — alongside state chief ministers Revanth Reddy of Telangana, DK Shivakumar of Karnataka, and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu of Himachal Pradesh.
Kharge, who heads the Congress party, told reporters that a petition had been lodged with the Supreme Court, while Tejashwi Yadav, speaking after reaching the court premises, noted that opposition leaders collectively had also submitted petitions there. D Raja described the Election Commission as a constitutional body and stated that his party's efforts were directed toward protecting democratic processes. He added that the body's mandate calls for operation free from outside influence, with decisions reached without favouring any particular party or interest.
Critics have alleged that the Election Commission, during Gyanesh Kumar's tenure at its helm, has not fulfilled its constitutional responsibilities. Questions about the body that oversees elections have mounted, with observers noting that public trust in the institution has eroded over time. Records show that voter registration data for a large number of people has been struck from the rolls, according to available figures.
The Communist Party of India, operating within the INDIA bloc alliance, has called on the Chief Election Commissioner to step down from the post, and a petition has been lodged on their behalf. Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav expressed confidence that the apex court would deliver a fair outcome, while Congress general secretary KC Venugopal described the demonstration as an opening move, adding that those gathered intended to maintain pressure until the Chief Election Commissioner stepped down.
Neha Bora, speaking from within the march, described the gathering as a clear expression of democratic participation. Party workers and civil rights advocates assembled under the INDIA bloc banner as authorities positioned barricades and deployed police personnel along the route.
