New Delhi is set for a busy Wednesday in one of its oldest market areas. The BJP will take out a foot march through Chandni Chowk on October 28, led by party president Nitin Nabin, as the ruling party steps up its public campaign over the revision of electoral rolls.
The march, titled Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy, is scheduled to begin at around 4 pm. More than 15,000 people are expected to take part, according to reports on the plans. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra, MPs and other senior party leaders are expected to join Nabin on the route.
The march comes days before the INDIA bloc’s planned rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1, called to protest against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The BJP has rejected the Opposition’s claims and says its campaign will counter what it describes as a misleading narrative about the revision exercise.
What is planned for Wednesday
The march will wind through the historic market area in Old Delhi, one of the capital’s busiest shopping districts. The late afternoon start puts it in the middle of the festive shopping season, when footfall in the area is at its highest and traders are counting on strong Diwali sales.
Delhi Police has issued a no-objection certificate covering security and traffic coordination for the Chandni Chowk event from October 25 to November 3, according to reports.
Who is expected to join
- Nitin Nabin: The BJP president will lead the march, a big Delhi street mobilisation for party workers to watch closely.
- Rekha Gupta: The Delhi Chief Minister is expected to walk the route alongside the party leadership.
- Harsh Malhotra: The Delhi BJP president is expected to join, along with MPs and other senior leaders from the city unit.
- More than 15,000 participants: That is the expected turnout reported for the march, a figure that underlines how much importance the party is placing on the show of strength.
A nationwide push on the same day
Chandni Chowk is only one part of the plan. Similar foot marches are planned across the country on Wednesday, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states expected to take part in programmes in their respective regions, according to reports.
In Bihar, BJP president Sanjay Saraogi said the party would begin a padyatra in Patna on October 28, with Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary expected to take part. Saraogi said the Bihar programme would cover 10 districts of the state, and that the first phase of the nationwide campaign runs from October 23 to November 5.
Reports also say the party is planning synchronised padyatras from November 1, running as a month-long counter-campaign, with a focus on states headed for Assembly elections, including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa.
Why the BJP is marching
At the heart of the confrontation is the SIR exercise, the Election Commission’s revision of the electoral rolls. The Congress and other INDIA bloc parties allege irregularities in the revision, say eligible voters have been wrongly removed from the lists, and describe the exercise as vote chori.
The BJP rejects those claims. Saraogi accused the Congress-led alliance of trying to create a false narrative across the country, and said the SIR exercise is a routine mechanism to correct and update the rolls. He said the Opposition was questioning constitutional institutions over what he described as baseless issues, and that the BJP had planned programmes on a large scale to counter the campaign.
By taking the campaign to the streets days before the Opposition rally, the BJP wants its version of the argument heard first in the capital.
Traders raise a concern
Delhi traders, meanwhile, have raised a practical concern. They have urged the Congress to postpone the November 1 rally, warning that traffic restrictions, road closures and security arrangements could disrupt business during the festive shopping season. Traders said the rally could affect access to major markets, including Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Khari Baoli and Kashmere Gate, at a crucial time for festive sales.
What to watch next
- Wednesday’s turnout: Whether the Chandni Chowk march draws the expected numbers, and what message Nabin delivers from the route.
- The nationwide picture: How the simultaneous marches play out in other states, and which senior leaders take part where.
- November 1: Whether the INDIA bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan goes ahead as planned, and how the BJP’s synchronised padyatras answer it.
FAQs
When and where is the BJP march? The march is scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, in Chandni Chowk, starting at around 4 pm. BJP president Nitin Nabin will lead it.
How many people are expected? More than 15,000 people are expected to take part in the Chandni Chowk march, according to reports on the plans.
Why is the BJP marching? The party says the march counters the Opposition’s campaign over the SIR exercise and presents the BJP’s position on the electoral roll revision, ahead of the INDIA bloc rally on November 1.
What is the SIR exercise? SIR stands for Special Intensive Revision, the Election Commission’s revision of electoral rolls. The Opposition alleges irregularities in the process, while the BJP says it is a routine exercise to correct the lists.
Stay with Informeia for updates from Chandni Chowk and from the nationwide marches on Wednesday.
