Story perspectives

Opposition demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation in Delhi

By Drooid · Oct 11, 2026, 4:38 PM UTC · How we work

Center

Opposition Leaders Detained

Opposition leaders marched in Delhi to the Supreme Court, met President Droupadi Murmu and demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
Authorities turned the capital into a ‘fortress’, cancelling trains, shutting Metro stations and barring hotels, while CPI(M) leader MA Baby and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee were held in police vans without food, water or medication.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal called the alleged electoral fraud “vote chori” by the Modi-Shah regime.

Right

Demand for Paper Ballots

Delhi leaders marched to the Supreme Court and met President Droupadi Murmu, demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
The opposition portrayed police barricades and transport shutdowns as evidence that the government feared dissent.
A delegation with Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Mamata Banerjee handed President Murmu a memorandum demanding the CEC’s resignation and paper ballots.
Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar called for the CEC’s removal while BJP called the opposition’s claims baseless.

Blindspot

Delhi authorities cancelled train services, shut Metro stations and barred hotel guests, describing the capital as a ‘fortress’ ahead of the protests.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Center-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Right-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

The 1998 Indian general election, held on 16, 22 and 28 February, was called after I. K. Gujral’s coalition fell when the Indian National Congress withdrew support in November 1997. It yielded a hung parliament; Atal Bihari Vajpayee of the Bharatiya Janata Party formed an NDA government backed by 272 of 543 MPs. A 61.97% turnout sparked transparency demands echoed in the Supreme Court march.

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Opposition Leaders Detained

Opposition leaders marched in Delhi to the Supreme Court, met President Droupadi Murmu and demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
Authorities turned the capital into a ‘fortress’, cancelling trains, shutting Metro stations and barring hotels, while CPI(M) leader MA Baby and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee were held in police vans without food, water or medication.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal called the alleged electoral fraud “vote chori” by the Modi-Shah regime.

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