Ramlila Maidan gears up for INDIA bloc’s ‘vote chori’ rally, 3,500 cops to be deployed

NEW DELHI: Preparations intensified at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on Thursday for the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally against alleged electoral irregularities, with the Congress demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over what it calls “vote chori”.

Workers were seen erecting a large tent over the main stage and arranging temporary platforms for opposition leaders and state units of INDIA bloc parties. Rows of white canopy tents were also set up, while metal barricades were installed to regulate crowd movement. Trucks continued to deliver plastic chairs and other materials as preparations gathered pace.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, organisation general secretary K C Venugopal and MP Pawan Khera inspected the arrangements at the venue on Thursday evening.

The rally is scheduled to take place from 10 am to 5 pm on November 1. The Congress has claimed that around 10 lakh people could attend, while Delhi Police expects a gathering of approximately 50,000 people.

Police said around 3,500 personnel would be deployed for security and crowd management. More than 200 CCTV cameras, body-worn cameras and surveillance-equipped vehicles will be used to monitor the venue. The ground has been divided into 14 zones, each to be overseen by senior police officers. Ten companies of reserve forces have also been called in.

The Congress is coordinating with its state units to mobilise participants from across the country. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has appealed to students and civil society groups to join the rally, describing it as a movement to defend democracy and the Constitution.

The Indian Youth Congress has announced plans for some participants to wear white cloth resembling ghosts. The symbolism is intended to highlight allegations that voters have been wrongly marked as dead or removed from electoral rolls. Some participants are also expected to wear Batman masks.

The rally is part of the opposition’s campaign against alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Congress and other INDIA bloc parties have accused the poll body of undermining electoral fairness and have demanded Kumar’s resignation.

The preparations follow the bloc’s plan to hold a “public impeachment” proceeding against Kumar on October 30. After encountering permission hurdles at other venues, opposition leaders decided to hold the programme at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence on Rajaji Marg.

According to an official communication dated October 17, the Congress was granted permission to book Ramlila Maidan from October 25 to November 3, subject to approval from the land-owning authority and compliance with specified conditions.

Police have asked organisers to install high-definition CCTV cameras at strategic locations and establish a control room to monitor footage. They have also been directed to arrange drinking water, separate toilets for women and adequate volunteers, while coordinating vehicle parking with traffic police.

Organisers have been asked to submit details of invitees, volunteers and buses bringing participants to the venue. Overnight stays are prohibited, and police have cautioned against unruly behaviour or speeches that could disturb communal harmony.

With inputs from news reports.