President Droupadi Murmu meets a delegation of INDIA alliance consisting of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, and others, and accepts a memorandum over 'voter chori' issue, in New Delhi, on Friday (October 9).
LIVE: President asked us to submit 'vote chori' proof, says Rahul
Delhi borders likely to be sealed amid unprecedented security; Internet in 4-km radius of Jantar Mantar suspended from 10 pm on October 9 to 10 pm on October 10
A delegation of INDIA bloc leaders, including Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, met President Droupadi Murmu on Friday evening (October 9) and submitted a memorandum on "vote chori" (vote theft) issue and also demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Besides Kharge, Rahul and Banerjee, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, NCP(SP)'s Supriya Sule, RJD's Manoj Jha, VCK chief Thol. Thirumavalavan, IUML's E T Mohammed Basheer, CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby, CPI's D Raja were among those who were part of the 10-member delegation.
Also read: If Opposition keeps up the push the same way, Modi govt will fall soon: Rahul
Carrying a big "Save Democracy" banner, INDIA bloc MPs marched from Parliament House to Rashtrapati Bhavan, but they were stopped at Vijay Chowk by the police, who had put up barricades.
"We handed our memorandum to the President listing our concerns of election chori and vote chori. The President did not deny vote chori, but the President asked us to bring her proof of vote chori. We will bring the proof to her. I thank her from my heart," Rahul said after meeting President Murmu.
Earlier, the INDIA bloc MPs met at the Central Hall of the Parliament and deliberated upon their strategy to take forward their plan for agitation against "vote chori" and press for CEC Kumar's ouster.
Security stepped up in Delhi; internet suspended
Meanwhile, security has been stepped up at the borders connecting Noida with Delhi, with police personnel and Border Security Force (BSF) jawans deployed at key points ahead of a major protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in the national capital on Saturday (October 10). The protest has been called to demand the resignation of CEC Kumar amid allegations of irregularities in election-related processes.
Also read: Delhi-bound train cancellations leave UP passengers in a fix
Internet services will be suspended within a 4-kilometre radius of Jantar Mantar from 10 pm on October 9 to 10 pm on October 10. The suspension will apply to all mobile internet services. Internet services in the rest of Delhi will remain unaffected.
At the Chilla border, personnel from the Noida and Delhi police, along with BSF jawans, have been deployed as part of heightened security arrangements.
Police teams have begun checking suspicious vehicles and questioning people as needed, officials said.
Security personnel are keeping a close watch on buses, taxis and private cars entering Delhi from Noida. Police are stopping vehicles for checks as part of efforts to prevent any untoward incident during the protest.
Security personnel have also placed reinforced concrete (RCC) barriers at the border to strengthen security. Police might seal the border around 9 pm on Friday, though an official confirmation of the proposed measure was not immediately available. Several social organisations, members of farmers' unions and leaders of some political parties in Noida have alleged that police have placed them under house arrest ahead of the protest.
SC slams Centre on Metro curbs
Supreme Court on Friday questioned the Centre over unprecedented curbs announced in the national capital ahead of the planned protest by the CJP on Saturday. It was particularly critical of the closure of Metro rail services planned to prevent the arrival of protesters.
"Young people, elderly all travel. Commuters have a right to basic facilities," the court told the Centre's lawyer, asking for the number of closed Metro stations to be brought down. The court made these observations while hearing a petition against closures of metro stations and cancellation of trains by CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby.
Earlier, Delhi Police denied permission for the CJP to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar over the accountability of CEC Kumar, citing short notice and previous violations of police directions.
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Live Updates
- 9 Oct 2026 8:55 PM IST
INDIA bloc leaders meet President, submit memorandum
INDIA bloc leaders leave Rashtrapati Bhavan after meeting President Murmu.
- 9 Oct 2026 8:53 PM IST
No one can stop India's youth; Opposition spreading false narratives: Union Minister Chirag Paswan
Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Friday (October 9) said cancelling trains cannot stop India's youth, as he lambasted the Opposition for spreading false narratives and playing politics with protests against the Election Commission (EC).
As authorities put in stringent security measures in Delhi ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) protests on Saturday and the ongoing Opposition parties' protests, Paswan said bringing the city to a halt every now and then was not right.
Paswan, President of LJP (Ram Vilas), which is an ally of the ruling NDA, made the remarks in response to questions on students complaining about train cancellations, metro disruptions and heavy deployment of security personnel in the national capital.
"Bharat ke Yuva hain ye, inko koi nahi rok sakta prabhu. Jo log aise bhram failane ka prayas karte hain, kitini train koi rok lega, kitni conncetivity koi rok lega, kitni sadkon ko koi jaam kar dega. (These are the youth of India; no one can stop them. Some people are trying to spread false narratives. How many trains can be stopped, how much connectivity can be curbed, how many roads can be jammed)," Paswan said.
"Bharat ke yuva hain duniya ko raasta dikhane ka kshamta rakhte hain...koi unhe nahi rok sakta (The youth of India have the capability to show the way for the world. Nobody can stop them)," he told reporters on the sidelines of an event at Sonipat, Haryana.
- 9 Oct 2026 8:50 PM IST
INDIA bloc MPs protest at Vijay Chowk, raise slogans against CEC
Opposition MPs raise slogans against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
- 9 Oct 2026 8:24 PM IST
Haryana: Gurugram Congress leaders allege 'house arrest', crackdown day before Oct 10 protest
Amid the protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the call for a mass mobilisation on October 10 at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, Gurugram Congress leaders in Haryana on Friday (October 9) alleged that they are being placed under house arrest.
The party's Gurugram (Rural) district president Vardhan Yadav said he was under house arrest, with two PCR vans stationed outside his home.
Police also allegedly visited the Tauru residence of Harendra Sehrawat, the Congress district secretary of the Gurugram Rural Committee, according to the party members.
Sachin Basoya and other leaders also reported police visits.
"The BJP government is afraid of the voices of Congress workers and is repeatedly preventing them from going to Delhi. The BJP is rattled by the way Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has exposed the theft of votes with evidence. That is why it now seeks to suppress the Congress party's voice by using the police," Yadav said.
- 9 Oct 2026 8:18 PM IST
Karnataka CM Shivakumar: 'This government should be terminated; CEC should be sacked'
In Delhi, Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar said, "We want to protect the Constitution; we want to protect the right of every voter. This government should be terminated. Whichever elections they have won are all illegal... We want the ballot to be reintroduced and the chief election commissioner (CEC) to be sacked."
- 9 Oct 2026 8:16 PM IST
INDIA bloc to submit 2-page memorandum to President
TMC MP Derek O'Brien said, "After we finished our meeting in the Central Hall (of Parliament), the memorandum was circulated among all the parties. The final memorandum was ready at around 7:30, and everyone had agreed to it. It is a two-page memorandum. We needed the signatures of Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, MA Baby, Omar Abdullah, and others. Since we had taken a printout, we needed their signatures. There were 10 names listed, and I had the memorandum with me. We had obtained three signatures and still needed the signatures of seven other people listed in it. Mallikarjun Kharge was in the car. You saw what happened after that. We then had to send the memorandum inside. The arrogant Delhi Police did not even allow us to go inside to obtain those signatures. I had to hand over the memorandum to Mallikarjun Kharge. He is now going around collecting the signatures. This is what really happened..."
- 9 Oct 2026 8:12 PM IST
Unprecedented security clampdown in Delhi; 25k personnel deployed, 57 metro stations shut, mobile internet suspended
An unprecedented security clampdown has been enforced in the national capital ahead of Saturday, after Delhi Police denied permission to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar, with the deployment of 25,000 police and paramilitary personnel, closure of 57 metro stations, suspension of internet services and intensive checks at city's border points, railway stations, bus terminals, hotels and other sensitive locations.
According to police, the elaborate security arrangements are aimed at preventing protesters from staging an unauthorised sit-in at Jantar Mantar and maintaining law and order across the city amid the possibility of large-scale mobilisation of people.
Internet services will be suspended within a 4-kilometre radius of Jantar Mantar from 10 pm on October 9 to 10 pm on October 10. The Union Home Ministry has approved the decision. The suspension will apply to all mobile internet services. Internet services in the rest of Delhi will remain unaffected.
- 9 Oct 2026 8:08 PM IST
INDIA bloc MPs protest at Vijay Chowk
INDIA bloc MPs protest at Vijay Chowk against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
- 9 Oct 2026 8:05 PM IST
Rahul: If Opposition continues to push the way it has in last 3-4 days, this govt will fall
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday (October 9) said there is a "much deeper problem" than Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and it requires termination of the current government, as he asserted that if the opposition continues to push the way it has in the last few days, the government would fall.
Opposition protests have shaken the foundations of this government, which is now scared, Rahul told INDIA bloc MPs at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan.
"There is a much deeper problem than Gyanesh Kumar and it requires termination of this current government," the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said.
This is something that is worth fighting for and dying for, he said.
The Chief Election Commissioner is only a service provider and he has gall to say he will not meet elected representatives of people, Rahul said, lashing out at Kumar.
"If we continue to push the way we have in last three-four days, I guarantee this government will fall," the former Congress chief said.
- 9 Oct 2026 7:47 PM IST
Who are part of 10-member delegation to meet President?
The following 10-member delegation of the INDIA bloc will meet President Droupadi Murmu at 8 PM.
1. Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress, LoP RS)
2. Rahul Gandhi (Congress, LoP LS)
3. Mamata Banerjee (TMC)
4. MA Baby (CPM)
5. D Raja (CPI)
6. Supriya Sule (NCP-SP)
7. Manoj Jha (RJD)
8. Rajeev Rai (SP)
9. Thol Thirumavalavan (VCK)
10. Omar Abdullah (NC)
