Thousands rally in New Delhi to demand India’s election chief resign

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in India's capital, New Delhi, to demand the resignation of the election chief over changes to voter lists that opposition parties say favour Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party.

Key points

• It removed more than 130 million names from voter lists, disproportionately affected Muslims and other minorities considered unlikely to backing Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
• Opposition parties, student organisations and the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party have staged near-daily demonstrations since late September, calling for Kumar to step down.
• Analysts described the demonstrations and growing backing for the opposition as Modi's most serious political crisis since he took office in 2014.
• Authorities ramped up security measures and unveiled traffic diversions before demonstrators marched from central New Delhi towards the historic Ramlila Maidan ground.
• Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda dismissed the demonstration as a "carefully orchestrated drama".

Indian National Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi led Sunday's demonstration, the latest in more than a month of protests challenging the revision of electoral rolls and the conduct of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Opposition parties alleged the exercise. It removed more than 130 million names from voter lists, disproportionately affected Muslims and other minorities considered unlikely to backing Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has denied favouring any party and remarked voters whose names were wrongly removed may register again.

Meanwhile, the BJP has accused opposition parties of undermining democracy by challenging legitimate electoral procedures. India's next general election is due in 2029.

Hundreds of police, some carrying batons and shields, were deployed around the rally site alongside riot-control vehicles. Demonstrators waved Indian and party flags as opposition leaders travelled in an open-top jeep.

"What is unfolding today at Ramlila Maidan is not an act of respect for democracy, " he informed the ANI news agency. "It is a calculated conspiracy to plunge the nation into anarchy, all in the name of democracy."

Notably, the protests began after Kumar's two deputies triggered concern regarding revisions to voter lists, registration procedures and digital systems.

In short, thousands rally in New Delhi to demand India's election chief resign is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.