At Ramlila Maidan, opposition leaders unite against SIR: Who said what?

On Sunday, 1 November, the opposition INDIA bloc held a major rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan under the slogan 'Save the Vote, Save the Country'. Organised to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the rally saw the participation of leaders and workers from 21 opposition parties. Among those who addressed the gathering were Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti.

One of the most significant aspects of the rally was the joint presence of opposition parties. Flags of the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Left parties were seen together on the stage and across the grounds. Several leaders who were once political rivals were also seen travelling together in an open vehicle during the procession. Slogans such as 'Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod' (Vote Thieves, Quit Power) echoed along the route. While some participants carried copies of the Constitution, others found different ways to register their protest against the Election Commission.

The speeches raised several questions about the neutrality of the Election Commission, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, voting rights and the role of the Central Government. The 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and the future direction of opposition politics also featured prominently. Considering the content of their speeches, political impact, clarity of arguments and relevance to the rally's central demands, here is an assessment of how the leaders performed, rated out of 10.

Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi was the main attraction of the rally. His speech focused on the Election Commission, Gyanesh Kumar and the roles of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He also warned of direct legal action against those allegedly involved in electoral malpractice.

Rahul said:

Amit Shah has said that Narendra Modi is not going anywhere. I am saying the opposite. Narendra Modi will not be able to go anywhere. Even if he wants to leave, we will not let him. After Gyanesh Kumar, we will come directly after you. Legal action will be taken against you for stealing votes.

He also raised serious questions about the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Claiming that the Election Commission had removed 13.3 crore voters' names from electoral rolls, Rahul said:

This is not an ordinary theft. In legal terms, it can be classified as one of the rarest of rare crimes.

He further claimed:

Without Gyanesh Kumar, Narendra Modi could not have become Prime Minister, and Amit Shah could not have become Home Minister.

Rahul also raised issues concerning Adani, employment, farmers' rights and the alleged concentration of the country's wealth in the hands of a few individuals.

He said:

Farmers are not getting their rights. Young people are not getting jobs. Workers are being denied their rights. All the country's wealth has gone into the hands of two or three people. This is not the India we want.

However, his speech could have been stronger had he presented more specific evidence to support his allegations of electoral fraud. Nevertheless, Rahul was the most prominent voice in setting the overall tone of the rally.

Akhilesh Yadav

With the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections approaching, Akhilesh Yadav spoke about SIR as well as allegations surrounding donations to the Ram Temple.

He said:

Ramlila Maidan is like Haldighati for democracy. Those who formed the Central Government with the support of Uttar Pradesh must be defeated in Uttar Pradesh itself.

Referring to Narendra Modi's Varanasi constituency, he added:

Those who once came from Uttar Pradesh must now be sent back from Uttar Pradesh.

The most significant part of his speech was his questioning of the numbers surrounding voter deletions under SIR. Referring to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's statement that more than one crore Hindu voters' names had been deleted, Akhilesh pointed out that dividing this figure across the state's 403 Assembly constituencies would mean an average deletion of nearly 31,000 names per constituency.

He said:

The truth is that the BJP wants to shift the blame for its impending defeat on to others. The BJP knows it cannot win through people's votes. That is why it is using the Election Commission.

Mallikarjun Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge launched a sharp attack on the ruling establishment.

He said:

They are deciding who will vote for them. The people are not electing them. The present Central Government, along with the governments in Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, has also come to power through vote theft.

He further said:

These thieves must be removed. Democracy cannot survive unless Modi is removed from power.

Kharge's speech was politically direct and clear. However, it did not introduce substantial new information or offer a detailed legal explanation of the allegations. Instead, its central message was the need for opposition parties to fight together.

Mamata Banerjee

After Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee's speech was among the most widely discussed at the rally. At the beginning of her address, she referred to Sonia Gandhi as 'my leader' and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as 'leader'.

She went on to praise Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, various organisations, lawyers and Left groups for their role in the anti-BJP movement. She also extended her greetings to the leadership of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and Gen Z.

Launching a fierce attack on the Election Commission over allegations of vote theft, Mamata became the subject of a counterattack from the BJP's West Bengal unit. In a post on its X account, the state BJP accused her of deep-rooted anti-Hindu sentiments, writing:

The 'Kafirs' are frightened. However, we understand her frustration because her party has been wiped out by the hands of the 'Kafirs'.

Mamata said:

Gyanesh Kumar has changed the meaning of SIR. For him, SIR now stands for Special Intensive Relief for the BJP.

She further alleged:

These people have looted the country's democracy and Constitution through vote theft. Even after that, they continue to attack democracy. The BJP has stolen jobs from the youth, dignity from women and people's benefits. We must remove them from power.

Her speech also carried a strong message of opposition unity. Although the CJP was not physically present at the rally, she expressed solidarity with the group and extended her support to youth-led movements.

Drawing on West Bengal's political experience, Mamata managed to bring the state's concerns surrounding SIR into the national debate. However, her speech could have been more effective with specific examples and stronger evidence of alleged electoral irregularities.

Dipankar Bhattacharya

Dipankar Bhattacharya, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, described SIR as a direct attack on democracy.

He said:

After Bihar, it has become clear to everyone that SIR is essentially a surgical strike against democracy.

The political significance of his speech lay in connecting the Election Commission's actions to a wider democratic crisis. However, a more detailed discussion supported by specific examples and evidence could have made his arguments even stronger.

Neha Bora:

Neha Bora, national president of the All India Students' Association (AISA), represented the student movement at the rally. Her speech brought the perspective of young protesters to the forefront.

She said:

No matter how many conspiracy scripts you write, ordinary people will defeat every one of your anti-national intentions.

Members of the Students' Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the CPI(M), were also seen supporting Neha during her speech. The solidarity between members of two student organisations that have traditionally been political rivals became one of the notable moments of the rally.

Tejashwi Yadav:

Tejashwi Yadav, Leader of the Opposition in Bihar, directly challenged the BJP and RSS over their claims of patriotism. His speech focused on the freedom struggle, civil rights and voting rights.

Tejashwi said:

Those associated with the BJP and RSS, who had no role in the freedom struggle, are now issuing certificates of patriotism to others.

He further said:

Today, these are the very people deciding who can vote and who cannot. This is a fight between the country's voters and those who are cheating them. We must come together to save democracy.

However, his speech could have been more effective with specific information on SIR and a deeper analysis of the electoral process.

Mehbooba Mufti

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti called on opposition parties to unite in defence of the Constitution and voting rights. Her speech reflected the political experiences of Jammu and Kashmir.

She said:

The BJP wants to change the Constitution. The same Constitution that gave people so many rights is now being challenged by those who want to take away people's right to vote.

She further said:

We must all unite against this injustice and protect the idea of India from being destroyed.

Her speech was brief, but its political message was clear.

M A Baby

CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him the 'emperor of lies'. His speech raised questions about the rights of farmers, women and ordinary citizens.

He said:

Modi has failed women and farmers. His fascist politics will not be allowed to continue in this country.

He also said:

We must fight together to stop vote theft and protect democracy and the Constitution.

Although his speech reflected familiar Left-wing political positions, it was significant in reinforcing the need for a united opposition struggle.

D Raja

CPI general secretary D Raja also raised the question of protecting democracy. However, the details of his address received comparatively less attention at the rally.

His presence was politically significant in the context of the joint opposition movement and the protection of voting rights. However, in terms of the specific arguments and depth of analysis presented in his speech, he ranked slightly lower.

Sanjay Raut and Supriya Sule

The presence of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Supriya Sule was significant from the perspective of opposition unity. Their participation represented two political camps from Maharashtra that have been fighting the BJP in the state's political landscape.

Opposition Unity and Its Limitations

The biggest achievement of the Ramlila Maidan rally was bringing workers and supporters of different opposition parties together on one platform. There have long been allegations that opposition parties have become organisationally weaker under the BJP government led by Narendra Modi. Sunday's gathering challenged that perception, at least to some extent.

However, one important aspect could not be overlooked. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the DMK did not participate in the rally. Although both parties have separately opposed SIR, their absence exposed the limitations of opposition unity.

Meanwhile, the BJP attacked the Congress for holding the rally on the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Union Home Minister Amit Shah alleged that the rally had been organised on that particular day at the direction of foreign forces. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also led a separate march under the slogan 'Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy'. The political confrontation surrounding the opposition rally therefore intensified further.

In terms of speeches, Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav emerged as the most prominent voices. Rahul issued a direct political and legal challenge, Mamata brought West Bengal's experience into the national debate, while Akhilesh connected the controversy surrounding electoral rolls with the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections.

The Ramlila Maidan gathering may have sent a strong message of opposition unity. However, its long-term significance will depend on whether the slogan of protecting democracy can be translated into a sustained political movement.