The opposition INDIA bloc held a massive show of strength at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan to protest against alleged vote theft and target the Election Commission. Addressing the gathering, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi demanded the resignation and imprisonment of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of hijacking democratic institutions and claiming the 2024 general election was illegal. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav also took aim at the central government, alleging widespread manipulation of voter lists and predicting the defeat of the ruling alliance in upcoming state assembly polls. In response, the BJP mounted a sharp counteroffensive, dismissing the opposition rally as an exaggerated flop and questioning the turnout figures. Ruling party leaders hit back at Rahul Gandhi, questioning whether claiming the 2024 election was illegal implied that sitting opposition MPs were also illegitimate, as the political war of words intensified.
