Members of the Himachal Pradesh Congress gathered at Himachal Bhawan in Delhi, directing their objections at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over what the party described as discrepancies in voter registration records. The gathering took place against the backdrop of the INDIA bloc's planned 12 October march, which the bloc framed as an effort to press authorities over Kumar's position and to demand accountability.
Ahead of the procession through the city, authorities deployed a heavy security presence across central Delhi's main thoroughfares. Barricades were erected at a number of points around the area, while a selection of metro stations faced planned shutdowns running from 6 am through to 4 pm as part of the security arrangements. Forces drawn from the Rapid Action Force, the Central Reserve Police Force, and Delhi Police took up positions in the vicinity of Barakhamba Road and Mandi House.
Lok Sabha's Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, addressing opposition groups, student bodies, and civil society organisations, put forward a call to take part in a non-violent procession toward the Supreme Court. Gandhi conveyed that on 12 October, people across India planned to converge on the Supreme Court in a unified, non-confrontational demonstration. He called on students, civil society groups, and opposition parties to join the planned demonstration, with the INDIA bloc asserting that Delhi Police personnel and Bharatiya Janata Party workers had directed violence at students and women during an earlier rally at which protesters had demanded Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. Gandhi maintained that proceeding with the march remained the opposition's stated intention, dismissing any notion that outside pressure would alter that course.
Congress General Secretary for Organisation Venugopal put forward the view that the protest represented a broader push to protect democratic principles. He told those gathered that what had begun as a protest had since grown into a wider popular movement. Organisers described the effort as one aimed at upholding the nation's foundational governing principles. Gandhi also called on people nationwide to rally behind the principles of democratic governance.
Venugopal added that while the opposition took note of the Chief Justice's decision not to receive their delegation, the group intended to proceed with its march to the Supreme Court the following day, with public participation expected. He indicated that filing a petition with the Supreme Court — either by hand delivery or through the standard legal process — remained an option available to the group.
Leaders of the INDIA bloc announced their intention to take the matter directly to the Supreme Court the following day, after Chief Justice Surya Kant declined the meeting they had requested — one at which the bloc had planned to hand over a written submission detailing what it characterised as irregularities in the electoral process. The Chief Justice indicated that proceedings on the matter were already under way before the courts and that any grievance the bloc wished to raise should be placed before the bench by way of a formal petition.
