INDIA bloc MPs marched from Parliament to the Election Commission on Tuesday, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Police stopped them on Parliament Street, where they sat on a dharna.

Leaders of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi led the march. MPs carried cutouts depicting Kumar in an RSS uniform and raised slogans, including “BJP hai CEC hai” and “Vote chor, gaddi chhod”. TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee, Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and CPI(M)’s John Brittas took part.

The opposition has questioned the security arrangements and stepped up its demand for Kumar’s resignation, citing Supreme Court observations on changes to Form 6, the voter-enrolment application. The march is part of a broader Save Democracy campaign, with district-level pad-yatras till October 8.

AAP and DMK stayed away from the march. The BJP called the stir frustration after defeat.

The march is part of a week-long campaign from October 2 to 8. The bloc also plans a meeting with the President in the second week of October. Nineteen parties joined the coordination meeting last week.