Agencies | New Delhi:
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has convened a high-level strategy meeting at its headquarters at 4 pm on Sunday to formulate a coordinated response to the Opposition INDIA bloc’s planned rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on November 1.
Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president Nitin Nabin are also likely to attend the meeting, according to sources. The meeting will be chaired by BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) B.L. Santhosh, alongside General Secretary Sunil Bansal, with other senior party leaders expected to participate.
The meeting is expected to focus on developing a coordinated communication strategy across television debates and digital media platforms to counter the Opposition’s allegations against the Election Commission, particularly over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The BJP’s SIR committee, constituted earlier to respond to the Opposition’s campaign, is also likely to figure in the discussions.
The INDIA bloc, led by the Congress, has planned a ‘Save the Vote, Save the Country’ rally and a ‘Delhi Chalo March’ at Ramlila Maidan on November 1, 2026. The Opposition has alleged irregularities in the Election Commission’s SIR exercise and coined the slogan “Vote Chori” to describe what it claims are discrepancies in the electoral rolls.
The alliance is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The planned demonstration is expected to culminate in a march towards the Election Commission’s office.
Congress leaders, including general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and K.C. Venugopal, have reportedly been holding consultations with regional leaders in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi to mobilise support. The party is targeting a turnout of around 10 lakh participants.
Delhi Police has reportedly issued a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for arrangements related to the event, covering the period from October 25 to November 3.
However, the proposed rally has drawn objections from sections of the business community over its timing during the festive shopping season. The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has written to Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, urging him to postpone the rally until after November 10.
The traders’ body has warned that barricading, security arrangements and traffic diversions could disrupt business worth more than Rs 10,000 crore across 20 major markets in central Delhi during the Diwali and Dhanteras period. Congress leaders have indicated that the rally is expected to proceed as planned.
The BJP has also criticised the choice of November 1, arguing that holding a political rally on the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots is insensitive to the Sikh community.
