India’s opposition parties are preparing to stage a massive rally demanding the resignation of the chief of the Election Commission, as protests over a voter‑roll revision intensify.
The revision exercise, undertaken by the Election Commission, is feared to remove around 130 million names from the electoral rolls, prompting concerns that a large segment of the electorate could be disenfranchised.
Opposition leaders have framed the roll‑cleaning as a politically motivated move that could affect the fairness of upcoming elections, and they have called for the election chief to step down to restore confidence in the process.
Organisers describe the upcoming gathering as a “mega rally” intended to demonstrate public opposition to the roll‑revision and to pressure the Election Commission chief to resign. The rally is expected to attract large crowds in multiple cities across the country.
India, the world’s largest democracy, relies on an up‑to‑date voter list for the conduct of free and fair elections. The controversy over the removal of millions of voters could have significant implications for voter participation and the legitimacy of future polls.
<small>Source: BBC News — read the original story there.</small>
