Opposition Alliance May Meet on September 30 Amid Gyanesh Kumar Row

Opposition parties are stepping up coordination amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with a meeting of opposition alliance leaders likely to be held on September 30, according to reports.

The Indian Express reported that Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee spoke over the phone with CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby about bringing opposition parties together. Banerjee also spoke to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and urged him to convene an INDIA bloc meeting at the earliest, sources said.

Baby had written to INDIA bloc and other non-BJP party leaders on September 23 seeking a joint meeting to discuss developments concerning the Election Commission. Reports said several opposition parties have since been contacted over a coordinated response.

The latest coordination follows reports about differences within the Election Commission. The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections at least 14 times over 10 months on issues related to SIR and other poll-panel processes. The Election Commission has rejected the interpretation of institutional disagreement, saying individual views are part of internal deliberations and that decisions, including those on SIR, were taken unanimously.

The proposed September 30 meeting could discuss the Election Commission, the Special Intensive Revision exercise and a possible joint strategy. However, the final venue and timing of the meeting have not been formally announced.

Source: Anandabazar Patrika. Additional context: The Indian Express, September 26, 2026.