Union Home Minister Amit Shah offered to convene a special session of Parliament to debate voter-roll allegations, renewing a dispute that opposition parties are taking to Delhi’s streets and the courts.
Shah made the offer Friday, Oct. 30, at a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) meeting in Lucknow. He challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, called allegations against the Election Commission of India (ECI) baseless and said, “Let us convene a special session of Parliament,” in remarks captured in an ANI video.
The INDIA bloc plans a march and rally on Sunday, Nov. 1, at Ramlila Maidan over alleged voter-roll irregularities and to demand Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, PTI reported. Gandhi announced a route from Minto Road near Connaught Place, past Ajmeri Gate and on to the rally venue. The planned protest follows Gandhi’s earlier call for a Delhi rally.
Opposition leaders say the ECI’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls risks excluding eligible voters. The commission said people left off the rolls can seek enrollment through their local electoral officer while continuous updates are underway. In Delhi, the filing period for claims and objections ended Oct. 30. The ECI extended the deadline for officials to resolve them to Nov. 30.
The debate challenge has a parliamentary precedent. During a Lok Sabha discussion on election reforms on Dec. 10, 2025, Gandhi said, “I challenge you to have a debate,” the official transcript shows. Shah replied that he would decide the order of his speech.
The Indian Express reported that two election commissioners had objected to decisions related to the voter-roll revision. The ECI said its orders and schedules received unanimous approval. The outlet also reported that petitioners are challenging whether the ECI’s revision decisions were unanimous and that the Supreme Court’s next hearing on petitions concerning the commission’s functioning is scheduled for Nov. 17.
